'How will he deal with Vladimir Putin?' Keir Starmer torn apart over Diane Abbott farce
Jeremy Hunt gave Labour a major bruising this morning as he tore into Sir Keir's inability to stand up for Britain.
Jeremy Hunt has issued a stark warning to voters this morning, arguing that the last 48 hours of internal Labour civil war prove that Sir Keir Starmer is too weak to protect the country.
Speaking on the Today Programme this morning, the Chancellor didn’t hold back when asking: “If Keir Starmer can’t deal with Diane Abbott, how on earth is he going to deal with Vladamir Putin?”
The bombshell attack line comes as the Tories try framing the election around security and threats to the UK.
Rishi Sunak has already warned that giving Sir Keir the keys to No. 10 would leave the country less safe and even embolden President Putin.
The Tories have highlighted Labour’s refusal to match the Government’s plan to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030.
Speaking at the Policy Exchange think tank a fortnight before calling the election, Mr Sunak warned that only the Tories can be trusted to keep Britain safe against an “axis of authoritarian powers”.
He listed China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as examples of those seeking to sow division here in Britain and threaten our security.
Mr Sunak argued: “People want to know that they have got someone in charge who understands these dangers, because only if you understand what’s happening can you be trusted to keep us safe”.
The Conservative Party is leaping on Labour’s two-day civil war, which began with reports Diane Abbott would be blocked from standing as an MP in the election.
Last night the civil war threatened to engulf Labour, as Diane Abbott threatened to follow in Jeremy Corbyn’s footsteps and stand against the party as an independent candidate.
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At a rally in Hackney, she vowed: “I will not let myself be intimidated. I am going to be your MP”. “You have always stood with me in good times and bad and I will always stand with you.
“I have to keep faith with that loyalty, I have to keep faith with my principles, I have to keep faith with supporting and speaking up for equalities, poor people, for the community here in Hackney.”
Labour MP Beth Winter, from the Socialist Campaign Group, said the way “she has been treated is vindictive, factional and cruel”.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan told the Evening Standard that Ms Abbott was a “trailblazer” and recalled how seeing her in 1987 “made a huge impact on me in a positive sense of the word”.
Mr Khan added: “She’s someone who’s done a huge amount for Hackney, for London, for our country. So I think it’s really important that she’s given the respect she deserves.”
Labour MP Jess Phillips said the party should allow Diane Abbott to stand as a candidate.
Further outrage came last night as two other hard-left candidates - Brighton MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle and Faiza Shaheen - were also blocked in a Stalin-esque purge of the left.
Ms Shaheen blasted Sir Keir, asking: “What message are you sending my community? What message are you sending the black community?”
“Honestly I’m so shocked right now, to be treated this badly.”
Diane Abbott, whose own row is far from resolved, last night said Ms Shaheen’s candidacy blocking was “appalling”.
She demanded to know: “Whose clever idea has it been to have a cull of left-wingers?”
