Keir Starmer Has Tested Positive For Covid-19 And Will Miss Today's Budget And Spending Review
2 min read
Keir Starmer has tested positive for Covid-19 and therefore will not attend parliament for today’s budget and spending review.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves will instead deliver Labour’s response to Rishi Sunak.
Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Milliband has taken the Labour leader’s place during Prime Minister’s Questions today.
The former Labour leader joked from the dispatch box today feels “just like the old days”.
Milliband used today’s PMQs to highlight the importance of COP26 and to implore Boris Johnson to act on climate change.
“Glasgow has to be a summit of climate delivery not climate delay,” the Shadow Energy Secretary said.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner will also not be in attendance during today’s budget speech as she is on bereavement leave.
Just hours before testing positive, Starmer was pictured today sitting next to Reeves and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Brigit Phillipson preparing Labour's response to the Budget.
The Labour leader tweeted that "today's budget must create a more resilient economy and take the pressure off working people".
"Labour would grow our economy, with our plan to buy, make and sell more in Britain, and our Climate Investment Pledge to create the jobs of the future," he added.
Both Reeves and Phillipson have tested negative for Covid-19.
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