Early General Election in the UK on the 4th
Possibility of Labour Party Regime Change
Starmer "Will Leave Work Early on Friday"
In the UK general election polls, Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, who is leading in the polls, revealed plans to leave work promptly on Fridays even if he becomes Prime Minister. The ruling Conservative Party criticized this, accusing him of wanting to be a "part-time Prime Minister." On the 2nd (local time), UK Sky News reported that "Starmer announced on the radio the day before that he plans to leave work at 6 p.m. on Fridays."
Leader Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appearing in a TV debate ahead of the UK general election. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
Starmer said, "For the past several years, I have spent time with my children after 6 p.m. on Fridays. I am trying to maintain this," adding, "Except for some exceptions, I do not do work-related tasks." He stated, "Some people believe that filling every hour of every day, seven days a week, in politics makes one a better decision-maker, but I do not agree. Leaving work promptly on Fridays actually helps relieve pressure. It is better not only as a father but also for politics. It is difficult, but I will keep trying," he emphasized.
Starmer, born to a working-class family with a father who was an engineer and a mother who was a nurse, worked as a human rights lawyer before entering Parliament in 2015. He has teenage children with his wife Victoria, who works for the National Health Service (NHS). Earlier, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak played the "early general election" card as a gamble to recover from the Conservative Party's defeat in the local elections in May and their dismal poll ratings. With the election scheduled for the 4th, if the Labour Party wins, it will be the first change of government in 14 years since 2010, and Starmer will become the new Prime Minister. According to a BBC poll on the 29th of last month, Labour's support rate was 40%, double that of the Conservatives at 20%.
The Conservative Party immediately counterattacked Starmer's "leaving work promptly on Fridays" remark. On X (formerly Twitter), the Conservatives wrote, "Starmer says he will finish work at 6 p.m. if he becomes Prime Minister," adding, "You deserve someone better than a part-time Prime Minister." Prime Minister Sunak said, "I have never finished work at 6 p.m. Around this time, there are only a couple of hours left until 6 p.m., and that (leaving work promptly) is not good."
A Labour Party spokesperson explained regarding Starmer's remarks, "We know that if he enters 10 Downing Street (the Prime Minister's residence), the situation will definitely be different."
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