Labour leader Keir Starmer to hold 'Call Keir' meetings to take questions from public on coronavirus
The first session will be held on Thursday evening
2 min read
Labour leader Keir Starmer has unveiled plans for a series of 'Call Keir' sessions which will see him take questions from the public on the coronavirus crisis.
He announced the plans to hold virtual meetings in every region and nation across the United Kingdom so he can "hear directly" from the public about the impact of the pandemic.
The first two sessions, set to be held on Thursday evening, will be open to those in Bury and Tees valley and will be chaired by Manchester Evening News Politics and Investigations Editor Jennifer Williams.
The party said dozens of the hour-long calls would be announced over the coming weeks, and comes after the Labour leader held similar calls with key workers, small businesses and representatives of the BAME community.
Announcing the scheme, Sir Keir said: "Coronavirus is the biggest crisis our country has faced in a generation.
"That is why I want to hear directly from people about their experiences, how they are coping and what more they want to see done to help keep people safe and well."
It follows the Labour leader's attack on Boris Johnson for failing to have "adult conversations" with voters about their plans for lifting the coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
While the event will be open to non-Labour Party members, Sir Keir said he hoped the Bury session, which covers two of the Conservative's most marginal seats, would give voters the opportunity to pose questions about the party's recent electoral defeat.
He added: "It is also important that Labour listens and learns from our elections defeats.
"I want an open and frank conversation with the British people about what we need to do to restore people's trust in the Labour Party."
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