WATCH: Starmer on racism, a “purge” of the left and a PM “asleep at the wheel”

Keir Starmer has given an exclusive interview commenting on the Black Lives Matter movement and racism in the UK, denying claims that he wants to “purge” the Labour left, and criticising the Prime Minister’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.

The Labour leader has said that Black Lives Matter must be “more than a movement”, to represent a “turning point”, but reiterated his opposition to the demand that the police in the UK should be defunded.

“We have deep pockets of racism, we have widespread discrimination, but this has to be a defining moment”@Keir_Starmer tells @BethRigby he supports #BlackLivesMatter and says “this has to be a defining moment”, but says that he does not agree with calls to defund the police pic.twitter.com/id9iOlx2Al

— SkyNews (@SkyNews) July 3, 2020

Following his sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey and accusations of factionalism on his part, Starmer said the decision was “not a left-right issue” and he has “no intent to purge the party at all”.

“I have no intention to purge the party at all”@Keir_Starmer tells @BethRigby that his decision to sack @RLong_Bailey was not an example of factionalism, adding “this is not a left right issue”

Read more here: https://t.co/YFHdksp0rc pic.twitter.com/sdLWKvQ5ZA

— SkyNews (@SkyNews) July 3, 2020

On the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, the Labour leader continued his reluctance to call for an inquiry to be held now, saying that “at the moment I think it is important that we concentrate on the job at hand”.

Starmer accused the Prime Minister of being “asleep at the wheel” during the coronavirus crisis and described Boris Johnson as someone who “refuses to see problems”.

But he disagreed with Joe Biden’s assessment of Johnson as a “physical and emotional clone” of President Trump, instead saying: “I wouldn’t describe him in that way… He’s good on the rhetoric, but he’s not good on governing.”

Labour leader @Keir_Starmer tells @BethRigby that an inquiry into the government’s handling of #coronavirus is “inevitable” but says “at the moment I think it is important that we concentrate on the job at hand”

Read more here: https://t.co/ZWjL7edwEX pic.twitter.com/035HHX0OFk

— SkyNews (@SkyNews) July 3, 2020

“He’s made mistakes and he’s been far too slow”@Keir_Starmer tells @BethRigby the government has been “asleep at the wheel” whilst dealing with #coronavirus, adding “they really need to up their game”

Read more here: https://t.co/ZWjL7edwEX pic.twitter.com/hKTtHBeTej

— SkyNews (@SkyNews) July 3, 2020

Labour leader @Keir_Starmer tells @BethRigby he does not agree with @JoeBiden who described the PM as a “physical and emotional clone” of President Trump, adding “my concern about the Prime Minister is that he’s good on the rhetoric, but he’s not good on governing” pic.twitter.com/VMXpoYWoCn

— SkyNews (@SkyNews) July 3, 2020