Labour have hit back at Tory claims that Keir Starmer wants to clock off at 6pm every day if he becomes prime minister.
The prime minister-in-waiting told Virgin Radio that “will not do a work-related thing after 6 o’clock, pretty well come what may” on a Friday night.
“Now there are a few exceptions, but that’s what we do,” he told Chris Evans. “My son goes kick-boxing and so I often take him there. My daughter goes swimming and cheerleading now, so I have been to see her in cheerleading competitions.”
Asked if that meant he was going to “ringfence” that time, Starmer said: “Yeah, and I want to. Because one, I’m a dad and I love them. They’re my pride and joy and I don’t want to lose that time.
“Two, I don’t believe in the theory you’re a better decision-maker if you don’t allow space to be a dad and have fun for your kids.
“Actually, it helps me. It takes me away from the pressure. It relaxes me.
“I think, actually, it’s not only what I want to do as a dad - it is better.”
HuffPost UK understands that the arrangement is largely down to the fact Starmer’s wife, Victoria, is Jewish and Friday evenings are an important family time for that faith.
However, the Tories leapt on his comments, wrongly claiming he said he wanted to “clock off at 6pm” every day and producing a mocked-up diary of his day as PM.
Embarrassingly for the party, a community note on X below their post said: “Keir Starmer was clear that he was referring to finishing work at 6pm only on Friday evenings.”
A Labour source said: “The only person who’s clocked off early in this campaign is Rishi Sunak at the D-Day commemorations.”