Thursday, June 27, 2024 Starmer should mind his language I thought Keir Starmer undermined an otherwise strong performance in last night's TV debate by accusing the prime minister of "a lie", when Rishi Sunak said Labour would put up taxes by £2,000.    And the Labour leader was unwise to return to the theme in his interview with Channel 5 News this evening: "I'm genuinely disappointed that the prime minister of the United Kingdom resorted to lies."   This is overwrought and unpersuasive language. Sunak's £2,000 figure is nonsense, but it is not a lie. Just as Labour's figure for the higher cost of mortgages under the Conservatives, £4,800, is nonsense, but not a lie.   If Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, repeat this £4,800 figure in their campaigning on housing costs tomorrow, will all those Labour partisans who cheered Starmer last night praise Tories for "calling out" Starmer and Reeves?   Calling your opponent a liar is an insult that will not persuade the undecided, as I have long argued. Starmer should have stuck to his initial line in the TV debate, which was to say that Sunak's claim was "false".  Quiz question What is Marine Le Pen's party, leading opinion polls for Sunday's French election, now called? Answer at the bottom of today's email I have worked for The Independent long enough to remember when you had to pay to read our journalism, because the main way of getting hold of it was to buy a paper copy. Now a lot of what we do is free to read online, including one of my columns every Saturday. But it is as true today as it was then that good journalism costs money.    I am extremely proud of what we do at The Independent, from scoops such as the prime minister's wife's non-dom status to our lively comment articles for the independent-minded. I wish we could pay for it all from advertising, and we have been brilliantly successful in building up a huge online audience.   But advertising cannot pay for it all, which is why I urge you to become a subscriber. It is a bargain, unlocking ad-free premium articles, the daily edition newspaper, exclusive newsletters and more. If you like what we do, do take out a subscription and help support the best quality online-only journalism. And you can enjoy 3 months for free. SUBSCRIBE: 3 MONTHS FOR FREE Daily briefing From fears to regrets, emotional Keir Starmer reveals what drives him The big interview: the man who may be prime minister in eight days talks to Geordie Greig  Nadine Dorries blames Michael Gove for Conservative defeat Least surprising start to the premature Tory inquest, reported by David Maddox Sir Philip Davies latest Tory accused in gambling row Conservative candidate did not deny he bet £8,000 that he would lose his Shipley seat at the election What else you need to know today Ask Ellie Chowns, Green Party candidate, anything in an exclusive Q&A session with The Independent tomorrow; you can also ask questions of Ian Johnson, Plaid Cymru candidate; next up is Howard Cox, Reform candidate, on Monday  Peter Inglesby has compiled an amazing website that compares the results projected by different MRP polls in every constituency – some of the results are wild I wrote about the "Luvvies for Labour" letter in The Times – a pale imitation of the mood for change in 1997  I reviewed the BBC TV debate last night: I thought Rishi Sunak was like a vigorous leader of the opposition attacking staid Prime Minister Keir Starmer The Independent View Keir Starmer is right to take a firm line in NHS pay talks Politics explained Celebrities on politics: do they make a difference? After actor David Tennant exchanged insults with Kemi Badenoch, John Rentoul looks at famous faces who have spoken out on politics...   Read more MOST COMMENTED Sir John Hall, former Newcastle United owner and Tory donor, endorses Reform Tomorrow on the campaign trail Our political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for Overnight UK time (2am), Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off in the first TV debate of the US election    GDP figures for January to March published by Office for National Statistics, 7am. Rishi Sunak and Gillian Keegan, education secretary, are expected to promote Conservative policies on education   Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, will be interviewed by Nick Robinson on BBC1, 7.30pm. Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, and Adrian Ramsay, Green Party co-leader, will appear on a Question Time leaders' special on BBC1, 8pm. QUOTE OF THE DAY "It's what they did in apartheid South Africa and what they do now in China and Myanmar"   Kemi Badenoch on Labour plans for mandatory reporting on ethnicity pay gaps  Enjoy 3 months of Independent Premium for free With the election date set, our mission to provide unbiased journalism has never been more important. As the only quality news source that refuses to take political sides, you can rely on our commentary and analysis to help you make sense of the key elections in the UK and US. SUBSCRIBE TODAY You may cancel at any time. Quiz answer: Rassemblement National, or National Rally The Independent proudly partners with Refuge and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 Join the conversation or follow us Download the free Independent app Please do not reply directly to this email   You are currently registered to receive The Independent's View From Westminster newsletter.   To unsubscribe from The Independent's View From Westminster newsletter, or to manage your email preferences please click here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345 Read our privacy notice and cookie policy