Wes Streeting was left red-faced after failing to remember Keir Starmer’s six pledges for what Labour will do if it wins the election.
The shadow health secretary was challenged to list the promises – which the Labour leader unveiled on Thursday – on BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show this morning.
He said: “Economic stability, cut NHS waiting lists, 6,500 extra teachers, Secure Border Command, Great British Energy and … what’s the one I’ve missed? I’ve put them out of order.”
As Kuenssberg and her other guests laughed, Streeting pulled a card containing the pledges out of his jacket pocket and said: “Crack down on anti-social behaviour.
“The annoying thing is I was preparing for that question and I still fluffed it. I might as well just go home now.”
Adding to the Labour frontbencher’s annoyance, defence secretary Grant Shapps successfully listed Rishi Sunak’s own five pledges to the country.
“The annoying thing is I was preparing for that question and I still fluffed it”
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting says he “might as well go home” after forgetting one of his party’s pledges as #BBCLauraK quizzes him and Defence Sec Grant Shappshttps://t.co/qMLbI7ISxcpic.twitter.com/0oRkYhbkZ9
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) May 19, 2024
Asked about his gaffe while appearing later on LBC, Streeting said: “Don’t even go there. You have no idea how hard I’ve been kicking [myself].
“I knew that question would come up, you spend time preparing for it, in the moment I had a total brain freeze. I think Keir Starmer is going to kick me on Monday.”
'I was going to say what an upgrade you are on David Lammy, but you can forget it now you've been mean to me.'
After having 'fluffed it' when attempting to list Keir Starmer's six pledges on the BBC, @wesstreeting is challenged to name them once more by @Lewis_Goodall. pic.twitter.com/rFYYEDi16X
— LBC (@LBC) May 19, 2024
Tory chairman Richard Holden said: “Sir Keir Starmer’s pledges change so frequently even his own team don’t bother to remember what they are.
“Like the British public, Starmer’s Labour frontbench colleagues know he has no plan for Britain and would take us back to square one.”