SIR Keir Starmer has said he will do “whatever is necessary” to rebuild trust in Labour following its “bitterly disappointing” defeat in the Hartlepool by-election.
After seeing another pillar in its once impregnable “red wall” fall to the Tories, the Labour leader told his party to “stop quarrelling among ourselves” and address the needs of the country.
In a stunning result, the Conservatives overturned a majority of 3500 to take the seat – which had been Labour-held since it was formed in 1974 – with a majority of 6940.
Starmer said he was determined to address the problems. “I’m bitterly disappointed in the result and I take full responsibility for the results – and I will take full responsibility for fixing this,” he said.
“Very often we have been talking to ourselves instead of to the country and we have lost the trust of working people, particularly in places like Hartlepool. I intend to do whatever is necessary to fix that.”
Visiting the constituency to celebrate, Johnson said it was a mandate for the UK Government to press on with its plan to “build back better” after delivering on Brexit. “What people want us to do now is to get on with delivering on everything else,” he said.
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