Sir Keir Starmer has revealed the thing he fears the most about becoming prime minister is the impact it will have on his children.
Speaking to Beth Rigby during Sky News’ Battle For Number 10, the Labour leader said it was “not the big decisions” he feared the most but the effect his job will have on his teenage children.
He said his children – a boy aged nearly 16 and a girl aged 13 – were at “difficult ages” and it would have been easier if they were younger or older.
He told Rigby and the audience in Grimsby: “These are really difficult ages. My only fear really is the impact it’s going to have on them.”
Sir Keir, who the polls predict will be the country’s next prime minister on 4 July, said the reason they had not appeared publicly or in a photo shoot with him was to protect them and to ensure they have their “own lives”.
Follow live: Starmer asked if he has ‘trust issue’ with voters
“I don’t fear the big decisions, in fact, I relish the chance to change our country,” he told Rigby.
“My only fear… the only thing that keeps me up at night is worrying about my children.”
The Labour leader also revealed that his wife, Victoria, would have preferred it if he stayed working as a lawyer rather than work in politics.
“She thought she would be better to continue being a lawyer on a reasonable salary and not have all of the challenges that you get as a politician,” he explained.
“But I was clear my mind – I wanted to come into politics because I wanted to serve my country.”
Sir Keir, who was speaking before Mr Sunak takes to the stage, also sought to distinguish himself from previous Labour leaders by saying he did not want to reach for the “tax lever” to sort out the country’s finances.
He said his “central mission was to grow the economy” and that he wanted to “do things differently”.
Despite persistent questioning over his tax plans, Sir Keir said there would be “no need” to raise taxes on working people in the party’s manifesto that will be published on Thursday.
Pressed on whether he would implement a wealth tax of the country’s top earners, Sir Keir said: “I want to do things differently. I want to grow our economy.
“I accept that previous Labour leaders have sort of pulled the tax lever every single time and driven up spending. I want to grow our economy.”
He added: “The manifesto tomorrow will be a manifesto, a plan for wealth creation.
“Now, you might not hear a Labour leader say that very often, but for me, that is the most important thing.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.