Tories rule out electoral deals as Labour comes under pressure over coalition claims

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NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. — ONE EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO SALES. NO ARCHIVING. NO ALTERING OR MANIPULATING. NO USE ON SOCIAL MEDIA UNLESS AGREED BY HOC PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICE. MANDATORY CREDIT: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor Handout photo issued by UK Parliament of Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. Issue date: Wednesday May 10, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS PMQs. Photo credit should read: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Rishi Sunak’s press secretary yesterday refused to rule out entering a coalition government with rivals despite the Prime Minister accusing Sir Keir Starmer of “plotting” to team up with others.

But hours later, the Conservatives released a statement saying: “We will not be doing a deal with any other party.”

Labour leader Sir Keir has ruled out doing a deal with the SNP, but left the door open to working with the Liberal Democrats if he does not secure a Commons majority after the next election.

Mr Sunak attacked Sir Keir on the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, accusing him of being “busy plotting coalitions” while the Conservatives are running the country.

But Labour called on Mr Sunak to rule out a “grubby, desperate deal” to “cling to power” after the press secretary declined to rule out the Tories entering any pacts.

“I don’t think anyone at this stage is going to speculate on the results of the next election,” she said.

Mr Sunak’s spokeswoman had denied he was being hypocritical by targeting Labour when the Tories have been in coalition with the Lib Dems and entered a pact with the DUP during the last 13 years.

The row came after the Conservatives were punished by voters in last week’s local elections, with the party losing nearly 1,000 councillors.

The Labour leader and the Prime Minister clashed at Prime Minister’s Questions with Sir Keir questioning Mr Sunak’s mandate, saying: “Given his track record, who does he think he’s actually got a mandate from?”

“This time last week the Prime Minister had to correct the record on misleading claims he made about employment numbers,” he said.

“Can he provide a further update now he’s cost a thousand Tory councillors their jobs?”

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister branded the Labour leader “Sir Flakey”.

The PM told him “it’s a bit rich to hear about mandates from the person who has broken every single promise he was elected on”, adding: “I can go through the list: nationalisations, NHS outsourcing, universal credit, and now tuition fees.

“He was for them before he was against them. He’s not just Sir Softie, he’s Sir Flakey too.”

Labour made large gains in the local elections last week but some projections cast doubt on whether Sir Keir is in a position to say he is on course for a majority after the next general election, expected next year.

On Tuesday, the Labour leader repeatedly declined to rule out doing a deal with the Lib Dems in the future after they performed strongly in the local polls.

He insisted he is “going for an outright majority” but declined to answer “hypotheticals” when asked about doing a deal with Sir Ed Davey’s party.

However, Sir Keir said he is “absolutely clear there are no terms in which we will do a deal with the SNP” because there is a “fundamental difference” between Labour and the Scottish nationalists.

Meanwhile, former Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable suggested that secretive discussions will be going on between Labour and his party.

“You can be sure that serious, but deniable, conversations will be taking place over the next year,” he wrote in an article for the Comment Central website.

But a Lib Dem source responded: “Vince doesn’t speak for the party. We hope he continues to enjoy his retirement.”