Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of being “a bit thick”, following the latest leadership debate against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Starmer was grilled once again by the Tory leader on his proposed tax policies, as Sunak warned pensioners of a “retirement tax”.
The Labour leader clapped back with an attack on the party’s latest scandal, Gamble-Gate, comparing it to the infamous Partygate of the coronavirus pandemic.
Starmer told the debate audience: “The Prime Minister himself was convicted and fined for breaking the rules, which he brought in and imposed on everybody else.
GB News presenter Bev Turner has accused Sir Keir Starmer of being ‘a bit thick’
GB News / PA
“What I did when one of my team was alleged to have been involved and investigated by the Gambling Commission was suspend them within minutes.”
Reacting to the performance of both leaders in the debate, political presentation coach Graham Davies noted that it was a “good thing” to see them “going at each other”, rather than being overly moderated like in previous debates.
Davies explained: “It’s a battle to see which of the presidential candidates is the least dislikeable, and that’s a battle that maybe Keir Starmer hasn’t definitely won, but it is a battle that Rishi Sunak has definitely lost.”
Noting another election candidate who has surged in popularity ahead of the General Election, Bev said that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is “cutting through with the public”, and “doesn’t play being a politician” as he has “much less to lose”.
Labour leader Keir Starmer took on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in the latest leadership debate
PA
When asked about Farage’s performance in the election campaign so far, Davies revealed: “He treats things like a cabaret as opposed to a political debate – he prepares effectively. He selects his material, then edits it, and I think he also rehearses it.”
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When asked by Bev if Farage’s strategy is working with the public because he “talks from the heart”, Davies responded: “I think that he rehearses it so well and so professionally that it looks unrehearsed.
“That was epitomised by the opening line of his closing speech in one of the debates, where he said ‘unlike the other people on stage, I don’t need an autocue because I believe what I’m saying’. But that didn’t mean he hadn’t prepared it, learnt it and internalised it.”
Analysing Keir Starmer’s performance in the debate, Davies highlighted how he was “ruffled” by Sunak’s “interrupting”, particularly in his comments about “negotiating with the Taliban”.
Davies added: “Keir Starmer was ruffled by him. Sunak managed to expose Starmer’s weaknesses, especially in relation to immigration and also tax. The vagueness was exposed by the interruptions.”
Graham Davies said Starmer was ‘ruffled’ by Rishi Sunak’s interruptions during the debate
GB News
Hitting out at Keir Starmer, Bev criticised the Labour leader and claimed he “is not very clever” and “a bit thick”.
When asked by host Andrew Pierce why Keir Starmer has been so “flat-footed” in the leadership debates, Davies revealed that he “hasn’t adapted to the combat of political debate”.
He told GB News: “His preparation and his thought processes are that of a prosecuting barrister.
“There is some spontaneity, but not very much. He hasn’t really adapted all that well from the cleanliness of the courtroom to the combat of political debate.”
