Keir Starmer insisted he has lots of energy for the election campaign as Tories call him ‘Sir Sleepy’

KEIR Starmer insisted he had enough energy for the election campaign as the Conservatives branded him “Sir Sleepy”.

The Labor Party chief dismissed the claims of fatigue as “desperate” – and said he has been working hard on election plans since January.

In Lancing, West Sussex, Sir Keir said: “I’ve had a smile on my face since January 1 because I knew this was an election year.

“I lost nine years in the opposition.

“I worked four and a half years to change this Labor Party and now I have the opportunity to bring that to the country.

“So we’re doing this not just with energy, but with a smile, with positivity in our candidates as we move into this election.”

The Conservatives coined the nickname “Sir Sleepy” when Starmer, 61, 17 years older than Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, 44, disappeared from the campaign trail on Sunday.

Conservative sources seemed to disagree with his age, adding: “It’s understandable that he’s tired.

Of the demands, Sir Keir said: “They are so desperate.

“They’re going through the toy box.”

Starmer also refused to rule out raising tuition fees to £9,000 a year.

He said he considered himself a “socialist” despite abandoning all 10 promises he made in his bid to replace Jeremy Corbyn.