Video
Keir Starmer mocks Tory heckler who said he was speaking in 'hindsight' with prediction
Keir Starmer in the House of Commons - Credit: Parliament Live
Labour leader Keir Starmer has mocked a Tory heckler who said he was speaking "in hindsight" for his prediction about the coronavirus tier system.
Opposition MPs were left laughing at the government benches after the leader of the opposition pointed out that it was a prediction for the future, rather than him talking about something in the past.
Telling the Commons that politicians need to proceed with "precision and caution", Starmer said the prime minister had been "fuelling the promise that within two weeks or so local areas have a real prospect of dropping to a tier below that they are in".
"We need to level, in my view that is highly unlikely, and we might as well face that now," he said.
"It is obvious that the new tier one may slow but it won't prevent a rise infections, and it is far from certain that the new tier two can hold the rate of infections".
You may also want to watch:
Taking on Tory MPsĀ on the benches opposite, he said: "I hear the mutterings but let's just see where we are in two weeks.
"And I look across the House to members across the House who think that perhaps in two weeks their area is going to drop down a tier just before Christmas. Let's just see".
Most Read
- 1 Leave EU website suspended after EU registry blocks move to Ireland
- 2 Comedian wins praise after shaming No 10 during Dancing on Ice appearance
- 3 Television drama to focus on Boris Johnson's first year in Downing Street
- 4 Boris Johnson blames seafood companies for post-Brexit sales slump
- 5 Progressive alliance could see Labour win 351 seats at next election, new analysis reveals
- 6 Boris Johnson claims Labour supporters using Universal Credit vote to incite hatred
- 7 Michael Gove among 14 Tory MPs revealed to have joined banned Parler app
- 8 The greatest failure of government in our lifetime
- 9 Priti Patel fails to appear in Commons to answer questions on missing police records
- 10 UK has highest Covid-19 death rate in world
As a backbencher made a jibe about him speaking in "hindsight", Starmer caused an uproar after he pointed out "this isn't hindsight I'm telling you what's happening in two weeks."
"We know where we'll be in two weeks, and I've no doubt there'll be members on the opposite side who will be getting up and saying 'I thought my area was going to drop a tier just before Christmas'.
"That's not levelling, that's not being straight, because that's not going to happen."
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle then went on to chastise Tory MP Gary Sandbrook for his constant interruption during the Labour leader's speech.
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.