Keir Starmer says Johnson didn’t lift a finger to stop rail strikes – but attended Tory Bash

Labor leader Keir Starmer called on Boris Johnson to stop the blame game over the rail strikes and urged him to “do his job, sit down at the table and get the trains running”.

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PMQs: Johnson and Starmer at odds over rail strikes

Keir Starmer has blasted Boris Johnson for not “lifting a finger” to stop rail strikes – despite finding time to attend a lavish Tory fundraiser.

The Labor leader urged Mr Johnson to end the blame game over the strikes and “do his job of getting the table and getting the trains running”.

In a fiery clash by the PMQs, Mr Starmer put pressure on the Prime Minister to end the strikes amid mounting fears over a summer of unhappiness over public sector pay.

Mr Starmer said: “The Prime Minister and his Transport Secretary have not attended a single meeting, had a conversation or lifted a finger to try to stop these strikes.

“But I noticed they found time on Monday to go to a lavish ball where the Prime Minister sold a meeting with himself for £120,000.

“If money gets in his way he’s there, if not he’s nowhere to be seen.

“So instead of blaming everyone else, why doesn’t he do his job, come around the table and get the moves going.”

Mr Johnson doubled down on the Government’s position that it was up to employers and unions to work out a compromise and continued to seek to blame Labor for the disruption.

“We make sure we do everything we can to prevent these strikes,” he said.

“He knows it’s up to the railway companies to negotiate, that’s their job. We’ve spent £16billion looking after the railways during the pandemic, costing every household £600.

He added: “We know why he will not condemn the strikes, we know why even now he does not have the courage to call on his MPs to support the pickets.

“The reason his authority is at stake in this matter is that they take £10million… that’s the fee the learned gentleman gets opposite for the case he doesn’t make.”

Mr Johnson’s attack on Labor union links comes days after he auctioned off a leisurely dinner featuring himself, Theresa May and David Cameron for £120,000 at a Tory fundraiser at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Super-rich donors paid thousands to attend Monday’s lavish Conservative summer party, attended by Cabinet ministers, party leaders and the Prime Minister.

Mr Johnson was able to attend the event under general anesthesia early in the morning despite a minor sinus operation.

Labor Party leader Anneliese Dodds told the Mirror: “The cash-for-access culture created by Boris Johnson raises serious questions about who is really pulling the strings in the Conservative Party.”