Keir Starmer in York: Labour leader University of York visit

Speaking during a visit to University of York's Department of Health Sciences, Sir Keir said he believed that Labour could take control of City of York council in the May 4 elections.

"We have been in opposition (in York) for a long time, so we are humble, but absolutely," he told reporters.

Asked about the blue badge 'ban' introduced by the current Lib Dem/ Green coalition, he added: "It was a shocking decision. We would reverse it."

On the NHS, Sir Keir pledged that if Labour were in power nationally, they would long ago have got round the table with nurses and junior doctors to bring the recent strikes to an end.

Quizzed about whether he supported the strikers, he said: "I understand why they are striking - but I don't want to see strikes taking place.

"I would get around the table and negotiate."

Sir Keir Starmer being quizzed by journalists during a visit to a clinical simulation ward in York today (Image: Stephen Lewis)

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who yesterday gave a speech about how an 'anti-maths mindset' is holding the UK economy back, Sir Keir said: "Many people will be sitting there wondering why is the PM giving a speech about maths?

"The government needs to learn lessons, get around the table and bring this disruption to an end."

During his visit Sir Keir, who was accompanied by Labour's shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, met nurses who had returned to university for extra training.

They were learning advanced rescussitation skills in a clinical simulation ward, using a hi-tech medical dummy to practice. 

"Would you like a go?" one trainee joked with the Labour leader. He laughed, but declined.

In discussions afterwards, the Labour leader heard about the desperate staff shortages in the NHS.

And he pledged that Labour, once in power, would oversee the 'biggest expansion in the NHS workforce in its history', doubling the number of medical school places to 15,000 a year, doubling the number of district nurses qualifying each year, training 5,000 new health visitors a year, and creating 10,000 more nursing and midwifery clinical placements each year.

That would be paid for, he said, by a tax on Non Doms.

After 13 years of Conservative government, he said, people across Yorkshire were worried about the NHS - worried they wouldn't be able to see a GP, worried that they would have to wait hours for an ambulance, or spend more hours sitting in an ambulance outside hospitals.

"Labour will build an NHS fit for the future," he said.