Sir Keir Starmer with Fara Williams at Haverstock School 

SIR Keir Starmer says he will not stand for claims that he has become less accessible as a constituency MP since becoming leader of the national Labour Party.

He said his office was now dealing with a record number of requests and that he was easily approachable while out-and-about, comparing himself to a “mobile clinic”.

Speaking to the New Journal during a visit to Haverstock School on Friday and recent claims in the paper’s letters pages that he is hard to get hold of, he said: “Let me personally just take that criticism head-on as it is very important. I am very accessible in the constituency. I live in the constituency. Our kids go to school in the constituency. When we go the pub we go to the constituency. When we walk down the high street and go to shops we are in the constituency.”

He added: “Every time we go out and about it is a mobile clinic, surgery. People come up to me with their issues wherever I am, and we get casework along the way. My team I think are doing 1,100 requests a month. It’s a huge amount.”

With a general election due this year, Mr Starmer – Labour’s leader since 2020 – is hoping to move into Downing Street soon, potentially leading to an interesting situation where Holborn and St Pancras is represented by the Prime Minister.

When asked if it was possible to properly soak up the issues affecting people living day-to-day lives in Camden, he said: “I am fully invested. It’s where I live. It’s my roots. My wife was born here. My kids have never lived anywhere else. I live and breathe this constituency. So actually do I want to push back on that as I am in the constituency a lot. I do think this is out of kilter with reality.”

He added: “I do make sure we do have a dedicated team in the constituency office. Frank Dobson [his predecessor in Holborn and St Pancras] didn’t believe in having a constituency team in the constituency.

“But I have always believed in that.We are plugged into everything that is going on. We do have an office here, as you know.

“Of course it’s a challenge as I’ve got to national stuff at the same time. It will be more of a challenge if we are privileged enough to win the election.”

Recalling an example of what he thought was good constituency work, he added: “I was at the bar in a pub in the constituency the other day, talking to a mate – somebody slipped me a pint. I looked round and they said – ‘that’s for helping me with my housing’. When we got talking, I remember the case. I judged it by the people coming through who really do need some help. The vast majority said we had fantastic support from Keir’s team. They get results.”

Asked if how things would go if was elected PM, he said: “Holborn and St Pancras will always be absolutely central to me. It is part of my make-up. It is part of who I am.

“It is my duty to represent my constituents. And it is their right to demand that I do that. I take that really seriously. I will make sure they are enhanced if I am lucky enough to be elected in to be PM.”