Jeremy Hunt embarrasses Sir Keir Starmer as Labour attack awkwardly backfires
Hunt took a jab at Starmer online
PA
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has hit back at Labour criticism over his past support of HS2.
Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, shared a previous social media post from Hunt in which he endorsed the rail project in 2020. She captioned and captioned the message on X, formerly Twitter, by saying: “How’s it going, Jeremy?”
The post received thousands of interactions and shares; however, it did not stop Hunt from making a jab back at Labour in return.
He reposted Reeves’ post, mimicking the original with the caption: “Going well, thankyou. How is Keir?”
Labour's Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves mocked Hunt online
PAAttached was a link to a video of Starmer opposing HS2 back in 2015.
Before he became Labour leader, Starmer said: “I oppose HS2 on cost and merit, it will not achieve its stated objectives.
“The only sensible plan is to abandon the project altogether.”
Labour now keenly advocates of the project, and last month Starmer told the BBC that they had “always supported it”.
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Users on social media reacted Hunt’s comeback, with one saying “slippery Starmer can’t be trusted, ever”.
Another said: “Don't distract him [Starmer], he's rehearsing what his speechwriters have told him is Labours policy for their upcoming conference., or words to say in the absence of policy.”
The post that Reeves shared from Hunt was uploaded on February 11, 2020.
In the post, Hunt wrote: “No HS2 = no ambition for our country just when the whole world is looking at us. Now is a time to be AMBITIOUS! #GreatDecision.”
Her jab at Hunt came after the Manchester leg of the HS2 rail network was scrapped.
HS2 was cancelled by Sunak at the Conservative Party conference
PAThe announcement was made the Conservative Party conference yesterday, when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the northern leg of the project as the “ultimate example of the old consensus.”
Instead, he said the UK will reinvest the £36billion pounds that was to be spent on the project on “hundreds of new transport projects in the North and the Midlands, and across the country”.
The move was speculated by many ahead of its official announcement, after endless pushbacks and ballooning costs.
Reacting to news of the cancellation, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham criticised the Government for treating “northerners like second-class citizens”.
He labelled the axe as a “desperate act of a dying government”.