Keir Starmer: Labour has “no prospect” of winning in 2020 if we don’t improve

Losing the Copeland seat was “really serious” and if things don’t change Labour has “no prospect” of winning in 2020, Keir Starmer has said.

Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, told the parliamentary press gallery that there was “no appetite” for a leadership challenge against Jeremy Corbyn, but that Labour needs to be “much clearer about what it needs to do” to turn around the dire poll ratings.

One poll last week handed the Tories an 18 point lead over Labour.

“There’s a huge amount of work to be done” Starmer said. He urged that the party’s focus needs to be on winning at all times.

He said: “The loss in Copeland was really serious. I don’t think some of the reasons put forward are compelling.

“I’m very straightforward that if things don’t improve there is no prospect of us winning a general election. It is a very bad result for the Labour Party and we need to be honest about that.

“A number of things came up, including the direction of travel of the Labour Party, Labour’s ability to communicate and understand what people are saying to them and, of course, the leadership of the Labour Party and we all know that.”