Rishi Sunak has failed to rule out doing a post-election deal with any party - despite Tory criticism of Keir Starmer for the same thing.
The prime minister’s press secretary turned down five opportunities to deny the Tories would enter into a pact if they fail to get a majority at the next general election.
Asked if they would agree a confidence-and-supply arrangement, or a full coalition, with any party - including the DUP - she said: “I don’t think anyone at this stage is able to speculate on results of an election.
“The prime minister is committed to and focused on delivering on his five priorities and that’s what we’re going to do to get a Conservative majority.”
Asked if that meant the PM could not rule out any kind of pact, the press secretary replied: “I’m not speculating on what would happen. All I’m saying is we’re focused on delivering the prime minister’s five priorities, which we believe are the priorities of the people.”
It was then pointed out that at prime minister’s questions, Sunak had accused the Labour leader of being “busy plotting coalition”.
Asked if that meant the PM would never go into coalition, the press secretary said: “The prime minister is doing what he can and delivering on the job in hand.”
She was also asked if the prime minister would do a deal with the anti-Covid vaccine Reclaim Party and replied: “It’s not one for me.”
Asked if he would do a deal with Reform, who used to be the Brexit Party, the press secretary said: “Again, I am telling you that the prime minister is focused on delivering for the people, which will deliver a Conservative majority.”
Asked by Sky News’s Beth Rigby yesterday if Lib Dem leader Ed Davey is a man he could “do business with”, Starmer said: “I’m going for an outright majority, and I’m often asked ‘will you do a deal with the SNP’ and I’ve been absolutely clear, there are no terms on which we would do a deal with the SNP. I want to push on to a Labour majority.”
But asked if that meant he could do a deal with the Lib Dems, the Labour leader replied: “I’m not answering hypotheticals…we are aiming for a Labour majority.”