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Keir Starmer will launch his own series of regular press conferences, in an attempt by the Labor Party to highlight its own priorities ahead of the televised Downing Street media briefings.
While the time and location have yet to be determined, Starmer’s press conferences are expected to be held monthly, with the goal of being open to all media.
A Labor source said: “Unlike the prime minister, Keir does not shy away from tough questions or hide from the press. That is why we are willing to hold regular press conferences. “
Boris Johnson and other cabinet ministers held daily televised press conferences during the peak of the coronavirus lockdown, from mid-March to June, often in conjunction with a senior medical or scientific adviser.
Now they only take place intermittently, usually to coincide with a significant policy change. These have a limited number of shortlisted participants, who are often not allowed to follow up on their questions.
However, Downing Street is trying to hire an experienced broadcaster to become the government’s mouthpiece and face at more general daily press conferences starting in the fall.
These are intended to replace one of what was, before Covid, the two daily “lobby” briefings where accredited parliamentary journalists question the prime minister’s spokesperson, a process that is recorded but not filmed or photographed. Since the lockdown, these have been replaced by a conference phone call once a day.
Downing Street has yet to outline the format of the new event and whether, as with the lobby briefings, all parliamentary media can attend and ask as many questions as they wish.
It is understood that if the stations broadcast the information sessions daily n. 10, Labor would expect the same level of coverage of Starmer events to ensure fairness.
What has yet to be determined by Labor is whether the Starmer event will be in person or, as in Covid’s # 10 briefings, online. Hope is for the former, but it will depend on the situation with the coronavirus.
Both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown used to hold monthly press conferences as prime minister, along with the daily routine of their spokesmen attending lobby briefings.
David Cameron initially did the same when he became prime minister in 2010, but left them relatively quickly.
