We visit Kentish Town to explore Keir Starmer's haunts and find out what locals think

We head to Kentish Town to find out what the locals think of their MP and leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer.

Transcript

00:00 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called a general election that will take place on July the

00:07 4th. His opposite number, Keir Starmer, is saying Labour will deliver change for Britain.

00:15 But what is the perception of the former lawyer in his own stomping ground? Today I've come

00:20 to his constituency, Kentish Town in North London, to find out more about where Keir

00:26 Starmer is from and what people think about him in these parts. This is the Pineapple

00:32 Pub, said to be a favourite of Keir Starmer, and just down the street, the Lord Stanley

00:36 Pub off Camden Road, is apparently where the leader of the opposition wooed his now wife.

00:43 Mr Starmer has said if he was to lose the upcoming election, he'd like to work at one

00:47 of his favourite stores, the Owl Bookshop. So it's very clear that Keir Starmer feels

00:53 close to Kentish Town. But how close do the people of Kentish Town feel to Keir Starmer?

01:00 I think he's a bit to the right of where I am. I'm more into redistribution and stuff

01:05 like that. He's coming across as being a bit wishy-washy. I know he has to be cautious,

01:10 but I think he's taken that caution a bit too far. He needs to give people more of a

01:15 reason to vote for him, rather than just a reason not to vote for the other lot, basically.

01:20 I think he's alright. I think he's OK. I mean, I'll probably vote for him, I reckon.

01:27 I'm not big on the Tories, particularly. So, you know, he's got the best shot of winning.

01:33 So I think, yeah, I'll probably... I like him. I think he's alright, yeah.

01:39 I'm not sure he's the best leader for the Labour Party. He sort of lacks a sense of

01:44 charisma and purpose. I'm still not sure what he stands for. His policies, for me, are a

01:49 bit flat. I think I was reflecting last night, and my biggest concern really is about the

01:56 Hamas-Israeli conflict, and I'd like a much stronger stance on that from the Labour Party,

02:02 who are supposed to be the party of the people, and really need to come out and make a clear

02:07 statement on what's happening, without taking sides, just for the sake of humanity, I think.

02:12 He talks so much about Kentish Town in his campaign, about the owl bookshop and his favourite

02:18 piece, the pineapple. Does he feel quite tight-knitted to Kentish Town?

02:23 I don't think so. No. He feels like more of a new-incomer. I know he bangs on about being

02:30 working class, but it doesn't really ring true with me, to be honest.

02:33 Yeah, I think so. He lives quite near to me, and as far as I'm aware, he gets his hair

02:39 cut at a place called Blue Steel, which is just a couple of minutes away from me.

02:44 Not really, other than he's an MP here. I've lived in Camden, I'm 62, and I've lived here

02:52 my whole life, and I've never bumped into the man in the street, so yeah, he doesn't

02:58 feel part of the community.