Tories accused of ‘doctoring’ Sir Keir Starmer interview

The Conservative Party has been accused of unfairly editing a video of Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer, to make him appear unable to answer a question on Brexit.

In the minute-long video posted on the party’s Twitter account, Sir Keir is questioned on ITV’s Good Morning Britain by Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid over Labour’s Brexit policy.

The video ends with Sir Keir staring at the camera after being asked by Mr Morgan: “Why would the EU give you a good deal if they know you are going to actively campaign against it?”

However, in the original interview on Tuesday, Sir Keir actually replied to the host: “Well, Piers, I have been talking to the EU, to political leaders across the EU27 countries for three years, and I know very well what the parameters are of any deal that they would do with a Labour government.

“We actually explored some of it in the cross-party talks that we were in with the Government six months or so ago, so I know that a customs union and single market alignment and protection of workers’ rights and environmental rights and consumer rights is something that can be negotiated.”

The edited video has been shared by a number of Conservative parliamentary candidates, including Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

Piers Morgan was among those to criticise the edit.

He tweeted: “Correct, he did [answer the question], albeit not very convincingly – but the way it has been edited is misleading and unfair to Keir Starmer.”

Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Huddersfield, Barry Sheerman, added: “Dirty work as usual how dare they play this trick on Keir!”

And SNP candidate for Glenrothes and Central Fife Peter Grant responded: “You do realise that’s a pack of lies? That you deliberately doctored the footage to make it look like something happened when you knew it didn’t?”

The party has stood by the edit, tweeting: “There have been some enquiries about the veracity of Keir Starmer’s interview this morning where he was unable to explain Labour’s plan to delay Brexit.

“Believe it or not, this car crash interview did really take place.”

The word “doctored” began trending in the UK as people used Twitter to criticise the Conservatives’ use of the clip.

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