We head to Kentish Town to find out what the locals think of their MP and leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer.
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00:00 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a general election that will take place on July the
00:07 4th. His opposite number, Keir Starmer, is saying Labour will deliver change for Britain.
00:15 But what is the perception of the former lawyer in his own stomping ground? Today I've come
00:20 to his constituency, Kentish Town in North London, to find out more about where Keir
00:26 Starmer is from and what people think about him in these parts. This is the Pineapple
00:32 Pub, said to be a favourite of Keir Starmer, and just down the street, the Lord Stanley
00:36 Pub off Camden Road, is apparently where the leader of the opposition wooed his now wife.
00:43 Mr Starmer has said if he was to lose the upcoming election, he'd like to work at one
00:47 of his favourite stores, the Owl Bookshop. So it's very clear that Keir Starmer feels
00:53 close to Kentish Town. But how close do the people of Kentish Town feel to Keir Starmer?
01:00 I think he's a bit to the right of where I am. I'm more into redistribution and stuff
01:05 like that. He's coming across as being a bit wishy-washy. I know he has to be cautious,
01:10 but I think he's taken that caution a bit too far. He needs to give people more of a
01:15 reason to vote for him, rather than just a reason not to vote for the other lot, basically.
01:20 I think he's alright. I think he's OK. I mean, I'll probably vote for him, I reckon.
01:27 I'm not big on the Tories, particularly. So, you know, he's got the best shot of winning.
01:33 So I think, yeah, I'll probably... I like him. I think he's alright, yeah.
01:39 I'm not sure he's the best leader for the Labour Party. He sort of lacks a sense of
01:44 charisma and purpose. I'm still not sure what he stands for. His policies, for me, are a
01:49 bit flat. I think I was reflecting last night, and my biggest concern really is about the
01:56 Hamas-Israeli conflict, and I'd like a much stronger stance on that from the Labour Party,
02:02 who are supposed to be the party of the people, and really need to come out and make a clear
02:07 statement on what's happening, without taking sides, just for the sake of humanity, I think.
02:12 He talks so much about Kentish Town in his campaign, about the owl bookshop and his favourite
02:18 piece, the pineapple. Does he feel quite tight-knitted to Kentish Town?
02:23 I don't think so. No. He feels like more of a new-incomer. I know he bangs on about being
02:30 working class, but it doesn't really ring true with me, to be honest.
02:33 Yeah, I think so. He lives quite near to me, and as far as I'm aware, he gets his hair
02:39 cut at a place called Blue Steel, which is just a couple of minutes away from me.
02:44 Not really, other than he's an MP here. I've lived in Camden, I'm 62, and I've lived here
02:52 my whole life, and I've never bumped into the man in the street, so yeah, he doesn't
02:58 feel part of the community.