Sir Keir Starmer has described Boris Johnson as a “trivial man” and “a trickster who’s played his one trick”, during his closing Labour conference speech.
Attacking Mr Johnson’s government as “lost in the woods”, Sir Keir added: “Once he’d said the words, ‘get Brexit done’, his plan ran out. There is no plan.”
The Labour leader suffered some heckles as he delivered his high-stakes conference speech in Brighton on Wednesday, during which he sought to draw a firm line under the Jeremy Corbyn era, having indicated he is ready to see Labour’s far-left split from the party.
It comes after the shock resignation of shadow cabinet ministers Andy McDonald, who alleged that the final straw came after he was instructed to vote against a campaign to raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour. In a message read out to leftwing activists at an event on Tuesday evening, during which they accused Sir Keir of “waging war” against the party’s left, Mr McDonald suggested he should seek a new “mandate” if he fails to honour pledges made during the leadership contest.
Meanwhile, in what would represent a significant change of approach from the party, shadow justice secretary David Lammy said a Labour government would seek to “fix” Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal – raising the prospect of more talks with the EU.
