KEIR Starmer refused to appear on the BBC’s flagship politics show with just days to go before the General Election.
The Labour leader would not take part in Laura Kuenssberg’s Sunday morning show, with Labour instead putting up their campaign chief Pat McFadden.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appeared on the show to be interviewed, as did SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn and deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper.
SNP First Minister John Swinney also conducted an interview on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show.
Kuenssberg told viewers that Starmer had declined to take part ahead of McFadden’s interview, and later also posted about it on social media.
“For those asking, we asked Keir Starmer to come on the show this morning, but Labour declined,” the BBC host wrote.
For those asking, we asked Keir Starmer to come on the show this morning, but Labour declined
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) June 30, 2024
During the broadcast, former Cabinet secretary and Tory Party chair Brandon Lewis said he would “have liked to see Keir Starmer on the show today, explaining what he's going to do”.
“I think there is, and I've seen this on the street, a real gap in understanding about what Labour is actually going to do and how they're going to pay for these things, and that is a real issue,” Lewis said.
Starmer has also been criticised for looking to duck scrutiny during the General Election campaign after he refused to take part in televised debates including anyone other than Rishi Sunak alone.
Starmer insisted he would only appear in a head-to-head debate – without the presence of any smaller parties such as the SNP, the LibDems, Greens or Reform.
A YouGov poll in late May found that more than four-fifths of the UK public who wanted to see televised General Election debates thought that all parties – not only the Tories and Labour – should take part.
