I’m disgusted by ‘vile Reform activist who hurled racist slur at Rishi’ – the PM’s response was powerful, says Keir
SIR Keir Starmer says he was disgusted by racist comments Reform UK campaigners have made about Rishi Sunak.
Campaigners for Nigel Farage’s party were recorded making racial slurs about Britain’s first PM of Indian descent.
Reform volunteer Andrew Parker was recorded in Clacton, Essex, suggesting migrants should be shot by soldiers as they arrive on UK beaches.
The PM said it “hurts and it makes me angry” and that Mr Farage “has some questions to answer”.
Asked if he sympathised with Mr Sunak, Sir Keir said: “I do. And I thought what he said about his daughters in particular was very powerful.
“I am glad he said it. I share his disgust at the comments that were made.”
Mr Sunak on Friday said: “My two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an effing p***.
“It hurts and it makes me angry, and I think he has some questions to answer.
“And I don’t repeat those words lightly. I do so deliberately, because this is too important not to call out clearly for what it is.”
Asked if he thought Mr Farage was fit to become an MP given all the scandals engulfing his party, Sir Keir added: “I don’t think he’s shown the leadership he should have shown.
“There’s no good condemning remarks after the event. If you lead a party, you have to set the tone and the culture and standards in your party.
“And I don’t think he’s done enough in terms of leadership.”
It comes as Mr Farage claims the Reform activist who allegedly hurled the racist slurs at the PM is an actor who was doing a comedy sketch at the time.
The unapologetic Reform leader suggested the incident was instead a “complete and total set-up” on Question Time last night.
He faced a barrage of angry questions from the audience, before claiming the footage was “a complete and total setup”.
Channel 4 strongly denies the claims and stands by its undercover reporting.