Keir Starmer accuses PM of 'squatting in Downing Street' over lack of commitment to election date

ITV News' Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana interviews Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer's pitch this morning was effectively for an early election, committing to taking part in televised debates against the prime minister, as he claimed "bring it on" - Labour is ready. 

So what was the mood in Labour HQ when the speech was immediately upstaged by the prime minister?

In a pool clip, carried out on behalf of broadcasters by ITV Central's Peter Bearne, Rishi Sunak suddenly revealed that his "working assumption" is an election in the second half of the year. 

One senior Labour source claimed to me that the party had been deliberately "laying bait" on this issue - repeatedly talking up the idea of a May election. 

One example was Shadow Minister Emily Thornberry describing an early election as Westminster's "worst kept secret"- pointing to factors like the decision to cut National Insurance this Saturday (usually that change would come in April), and having a Budget in early March. 

Next came an article on Conservative Home urging the PM to rule out a Spring election.

They said the arguments for it (small boat numbers down, a possible summer recession, and Trump's run for president being difficult for Sunak) were trumped by arguments against (that Tories will still be behind in polls in May, inflation and interest rates could come down further- and so could the NHS waiting lists could be cut). 

"But we didn't expect him to take the bait," said the source, claiming Mr Sunak had walked into "the worst of both worlds" and saying it would be later this year without setting a specific date. 

That means that the PM could now face a drumbeat pressure over the date. 

But also by Labour seizing on the idea of a May election they can now accuse the PM of being too scared to go to voters. 

In fact, within 45 minutes of his comments being aired, Labour released this image:

That said, there will be frustration too.

Labour was genuinely gearing up for May, believing those two decisions (to cut national insurance now and to have an early budget) did indicate an early poll.

They are currently also well ahead in the polls, with a trend that polls tend to swing towards the government ahead of elections. 

This gives more time for that to happen with speculation of a November 14 date penciled in by Tory strategists.

And there's nervousness in Labour ranks. Morgan McSweeney who is in charge of Labour's election campaign briefed the shadow cabinet recently - urging them not to be complacent. 

He said that strong polls were a measure of the progress Mr Starmer and his top team have made but warned that they don’t predict anything about the future.

"It’s like looking in the rear view mirror when you’re driving," I'm told he said.

That the party had to win every day to "bend the arc" of polls up, never assuming this is over. 

I'm told his focus has been on the very many times that parties with this type of poll lead went on to lose. 

Whatever the actual date of this election, the battle is very much underway. And worth saying that the Labour Party are planning to continue preparing for May because they think it's still very possible.

One source pointed out that Theresa May and Boris Johnson both said it wouldn't happen - until it did. 

After all, Sunak didn't say it wouldn't be in May; he just that his working assumption is much later. 

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