Sir Keir Starmer has declared that he is a “hard enough b*****d” to lead the UK despite Labour’s poor polling and numerous U-turns since taking office a year ago. The Prime Minister is facing arguably his biggest crisis since swooping into Number 10 after his backbench MPs rebelled against Labour’s planned welfare cuts.

The Government passed its watered-down bill on Tuesday, but only after making huge last-minute concessions to win over Labour rebels. This came after the Government also U-turned on plans to cut winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

DON’T MISS

Powered by 

Starmer branded ‘puppet of the Left’ over welfare U-turn after Rachel Reeves meltdown

Comments

Rachel Reeves’s tears are rational – Labour rebels have forced her to raise taxes

Comments

‘Humiliated’ Keir Starmer torn apart on GB News with crushing ‘U-turn’ verdict

Comments

Keir Starmer’s welfare cuts narrowly pass as 49 furious MPs stage rebellion

Comments

Keir Starmer stumbles out of Number 10 as PM’s humiliating 24 hours gets even worse

Comments

POLL: Do you feel sorry for Rachel Reeves?

Comments

One year of Labour: Take part in our exclusive nationwide survey

Comments

Rachel Reeves in the firing line as ‘lame duck’ Prime Minister plots reset

Comments

Keir Starmer set to block fresh wealth tax raid despite pressure from Labour MPs

Comments

Piers Morgan has brutal response to Rachel Reeves ‘crying’ with nine-word question

Comments

The 1 clear sign Rachel Reeves was crumbling decoded by body language expert

Comments

Labour insiders ‘fear Rachel Reeves’ PMQs tears have made her ‘unsackable’

Comments

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall hides during PMQs after benefit U-turn humiliation

Comments

Keir Starmer blasted for ‘worst start by new PM ever’ by polling guru John Curtice

Comments

Keir Starmer disaster one year on as poll shows Labour vote plummeting

Comments

Tory questions ‘legality’ of DWP PIP changes ahead of key decision

Comments

Moment Labour minister clashes with BBC in furious welfare row: ‘Mistake!’

Comments

I was in the Commons when Rachel Reeves cried and one thing stood out

Comments

Rachel Reeves’s sister shows her true colours moments after tears in PMQs

Comments

Ed Balls issues devastating verdict on Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves

Comments

Starmer branded ‘puppet of the Left’ over welfare U-turn after Rachel Reeves meltdown

Comments

Rachel Reeves’s tears are rational – Labour rebels have forced her to raise taxes

Comments

‘Humiliated’ Keir Starmer torn apart on GB News with crushing ‘U-turn’ verdict

Comments

Keir Starmer’s welfare cuts narrowly pass as 49 furious MPs stage rebellion

Comments

Keir Starmer stumbles out of Number 10 as PM’s humiliating 24 hours gets even worse

Comments

POLL: Do you feel sorry for Rachel Reeves?

Comments

One year of Labour: Take part in our exclusive nationwide survey

Comments

Rachel Reeves in the firing line as ‘lame duck’ Prime Minister plots reset

Comments

Keir Starmer set to block fresh wealth tax raid despite pressure from Labour MPs

Comments

Piers Morgan has brutal response to Rachel Reeves ‘crying’ with nine-word question

Comments

The 1 clear sign Rachel Reeves was crumbling decoded by body language expert

Comments

Labour insiders ‘fear Rachel Reeves’ PMQs tears have made her ‘unsackable’

Comments

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall hides during PMQs after benefit U-turn humiliation

Comments

Keir Starmer blasted for ‘worst start by new PM ever’ by polling guru John Curtice

Comments

Keir Starmer disaster one year on as poll shows Labour vote plummeting

Comments

Tory questions ‘legality’ of DWP PIP changes ahead of key decision

Comments

Moment Labour minister clashes with BBC in furious welfare row: ‘Mistake!’

Comments

I was in the Commons when Rachel Reeves cried and one thing stood out

Comments

Rachel Reeves’s sister shows her true colours moments after tears in PMQs

Comments

Ed Balls issues devastating verdict on Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves

Comments

Starmer branded ‘puppet of the Left’ over welfare U-turn after Rachel Reeves meltdown

Comments

Rachel Reeves’s tears are rational – Labour rebels have forced her to raise taxes

Comments

‘Humiliated’ Keir Starmer torn apart on GB News with crushing ‘U-turn’ verdict

Comments

Keir Starmer’s welfare cuts narrowly pass as 49 furious MPs stage rebellion

Comments

Keir Starmer stumbles out of Number 10 as PM’s humiliating 24 hours gets even worse

Comments

POLL: Do you feel sorry for Rachel Reeves?

Comments

One year of Labour: Take part in our exclusive nationwide survey

Comments

Rachel Reeves in the firing line as ‘lame duck’ Prime Minister plots reset

Comments

Keir Starmer set to block fresh wealth tax raid despite pressure from Labour MPs

Comments

Piers Morgan has brutal response to Rachel Reeves ‘crying’ with nine-word question

Comments

The 1 clear sign Rachel Reeves was crumbling decoded by body language expert

Comments

Labour insiders ‘fear Rachel Reeves’ PMQs tears have made her ‘unsackable’

Comments

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall hides during PMQs after benefit U-turn humiliation

Comments

Keir Starmer blasted for ‘worst start by new PM ever’ by polling guru John Curtice

Comments

Keir Starmer disaster one year on as poll shows Labour vote plummeting

Comments

Speaking to the BBC Political Thinking podcast, Sir Keir was asked about these U-turns by host Nick Robinson.

The Prime Minister was asked about a suggestion from one Labour source that he had “lost the dressing room.”

Sir Keir replied: “I’m a hard enough b*****d to find out who said that so I can have a discussion with them.”

Defending his change of tack on winter fuel and welfare cuts, he added: “I’m not one of these ideological thinkers, where ideology dictates what I do.

“I’m a pragmatist. You can badge these things as U-turns – it’s common sense to me. If someone says to me, ‘here’s some more information and I really think it’s the right thing to do’, I’m the kind of person that says, ‘well, in which case, let’s do it’.”

Sir Keir did admit, however, that his now infamous ‘island of strangers speech’ on immigration – which critics slammed as divisive – was one of his regrets during his time in office.

But the Prime Minister also wanted to highlight Labour’s achievements in Government.

He said: “Whether that’s rolling out school uniform projects, whether it’s school meals, breakfast clubs, you name it – and also [bringing in] a huge amount of investment into the country.

“And, of course, we’ve been busy getting three trade deals.”