'More to Your Left': Labour Leader Starmer Fails Lorry Parking Test
20:50 GMT 12.10.2021 (Updated: 10:58 GMT 07.04.2025)
© REUTERS / HANNAH MCKAY / Britain's Labour Party holds annual conference, in Brighton
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Starmer hit the headlines a year ago when he knocked down a Deliveroo cyclist with his 4X4 on a residential street in his north London constituency — precisely the kind of "zero hours" contract worker his party has pledged to help.
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer has come a-cropper behind the wheel again — this time while learning to park a lorry.
Starmer travelled to the National Logistics Academy in Greengate, near Oldham in Manchester on Tuesday, one of many centres training drivers to make up the shortage of 100,000 Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers claimed by the Road Haulage Association.
He was treated to a free lesson in how to handle a truck — but found going backwards harder than his 'Captain Hindsight' nickname would suggest.
"More to your left!" his instructor warned the right-of-centre leader, with no apparent irony, as Starmer complained he couldn't see where he was going on that side.
But it was too late: the would-be future prime minister hit an obstacle behind him, knocking it down. "You'd have failed your test," the instructor said. "OK, very good," Starmer replied.
"You'd have failed your test"
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 12, 2021
Labour leader Keir Starmer gets crash course in HGV driving https://t.co/Ohgh5evytS pic.twitter.com/KDxAvzuIDE
Local Labour MP Jim McMahon claimed in a tweet that Starmer "did a great job at driving a truck" — prompting jibes from users.
He drove a cart and horses right through the left of the party as well. https://t.co/N2P2O57ZPx
— pedro (@percypacker) October 12, 2021
12 October 2021, 16:10 GMT
Starmer hit the headlines a year ago when he managed to collide his SUV with a Deliveroo cyclist on a residential street in his north London constituency — precisely the kind of "zero hours" contract worker his party has pledged to help.
The Twitterati were driven to hysterics by Sir Keir's latest reversal.
Thank goodness there were no cyclists about!
— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) October 12, 2021
Failed as an opposition leader now failed as a HGV driver 🤣 https://t.co/OTmNQhGxhz
— Brian Ambler 🇬🇧 (@BrianAmbler2) October 12, 2021
"More to your left". Even the driving instructor knows what Starmer needs to do to actually challenge at an election. https://t.co/S1K6lhTqHs
— Wesley Grimes (@wesco25) October 12, 2021
The driver shortage has been blamed for a host of existing and future problems, including panic buying of petrol and diesel and a predicted shortage of Christmas treats.
