Keir Starmer has been ridiculed over a cheap political stunt involving John Lewis wallpaper. As he toured Lancashire on Thursday the Labour leader popped into the Trafford Centre branch and posed for a series of photographs in the home decor section. The photo op was a not so subtle dig at the Prime Minister's flat renovation and although his face was obscured by a face mask, one could imagine a smug grin had broken out underneath the fabric.
However, many Labour activists will have legitimate concerns about whether this was appropriate use of their leader's time so close to his first major electoral test. The childish stunt coincided with a new YouGov poll showing that despite all their posturing about Tory sleaze, Starmer's party had gone nowhere. The poll was carried out earlier this week and suggests the Tories had actually increased their lead. The irony was not lost on Twitter user Peter Costen...
