Starmer hits out at ‘ridiculous’ Tory criticism over Friday night schedule

Sir Keir Starmer insisted he would work on Friday nights if necessary as he dismissed “laughably ridiculous” criticism of his desire to spend time with his family.

The Labour leader, whose wife is Jewish, has come under fire from senior Tories after saying he wants to avoid work after 6pm on a Friday – although he acknowledged that is not always possible.

The Tories said Sir Keir’s stance would make him a “part-time” prime minister, while Cabinet ministers mocked him, suggesting he would refuse to go to work if there was an international crisis on a Friday evening.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “there’s always work to do” and that “entails sacrifice”.

Friday night Shabbat dinners are important in the Jewish faith and Sir Keir has talked about making sure his children are aware of their heritage.

The Prime Minister’s antisemitism adviser, Lord Mann, has warned that attacks on Sir Keir over his stance are “dangerous”.

Addressing the row on Times Radio, Sir Keir said: “I think it’s laughably ridiculous that this is even being talked about.

“All I said was that, on a Friday night, I tend to try and protect that time for my family as protected time for my wife and my kids.

“Now, of course, I’ve had to work Fridays in the past, I’ll work Fridays in the future.”

He added: “I’m still in that mode, putting the positive case for change, and saying if you want change, you’ve got to vote for it. And they’re in this ridiculous spiral of desperation.”

Sir Keir told reporters at a campaign event in Derbyshire: “I do carve out Friday nights, as best I can, for Vic and the kids and her dad as protected time.

“Her dad’s side of the family is Jewish, as people will appreciate, and we use that for family prayers – not every Friday, but not infrequently.

“That doesn’t mean I’ve never had to work on a Friday, of course it doesn’t, plenty of times I haven’t been able to do it (have time off).

“But I’ve tried to protect that time. I’d like to try and protect it in the future but I know very well, it’s going to be really difficult to do it.”

The Labour leader also suggested he would seek to carry on playing five-a-side football if he becomes prime minister.

“I’m determined to continue playing football, maybe not as regularly. I’m determined to continue to go to watch Arsenal play with my son and my friends.”

Lord Mann, a Labour peer who was appointed as the Prime Minister’s antisemitism adviser by Theresa May, said: “The attack on Keir Starmer for asserting his right to family time on a Friday night, as he has done for many, many years, is so dangerous.

“So insidious from those aware of why he chooses to be with his family specifically on Friday evenings.”

He told the PA news agency: “It’s a very strange thing to attack over. I’m the independent adviser to the Prime Minister and my advice would be this is not an area to stray into.”

He pointed out that Friday nights has a wider cultural significance within the Jewish community, likening it to Sundays in Christian communities.

“There’s a reason Parliament does not sit on Sundays,” he said.

The Tories have repeatedly attacked Sir Keir since he made the initial comments in a Virgin Radio interview on Monday morning.

Mr Sunak told reporters at a campaign event in Oxfordshire:  “Everyone will have their own way of doing this job. I can just tell you, from my experience having done it, that there’s always work to do, there’s always decisions that need to be made. That’s just what the job requires, and that’s what public service is about.

“It entails sacrifice, and yes, family, of course, matters to me enormously. But I’ve also spoken about this job being an enormous privilege, and public service of this nature requiring sacrifices.”

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said on X: “Virtually every military intervention we’ve carried out has happened at night, partly to keep our servicemen & women safe.

“The British people will wonder who would be standing in for Starmer between 6pm & 9am – Angela Rayner, David Lammy, Ed Miliband? Defending Britain’s security isn’t a daylight hours only job.”

Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho told LBC Radio: “I do think that it’s pretty unrealistic for a prime minister not to work past 6pm.

“I also think it’s a bit odd because they’re also saying they want to make people in the NHS work overtime and at weekends, so I think to do that on one hand, and on the other hand say that you’re not going to work past 6pm is a bit tin-eared.”