Manchester United legend Gary Neville has blasted the Tory government as 'immoral', insisting that Sir Keir Starmer becoming prime minister 'cannot come quick enough'. He has also cooled talk of becoming an MP or succeeding Andy Burnham as Greater Manchester's mayor, insisting he would rather be a 'loose cannon on the outside'.
The Labour Party member and former England defender has lashed out at Liz Truss' government in the wake of last Friday's 'mini-budget'. Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng scrapped the cap on bankers' bonuses and axed the 45p top rate of income tax - handing 660,000 high earners on more than £150,000 an extra £10,000 a year, the Mirror reports.
That comes at a time when Brits are gripped with a cost of living crisis that has seen bills surge over the past year. Gary insists the government is 'taking the absolute Mickey out of us' following the announcement, as families struggle to make ends meet, and believes now is the time to 'speak up'.
“People are struggling to pay their energy bills. I don't know any person on more than £150,000 a year that will think it's the right thing to do to basically give us more money,” Gary said.
“They want better public services, better health, education, doctor waiting times to come down.” Gary will appear alongside the Labour leader and Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell at an event in Liverpool this afternoon (September 26) when he will tell party members 'this is the time now to get behind Keir 100 per cent'.
Gary joined Labour as a member earlier this year, but he said he is 'not interested in a career in politics' as he would rather be a 'loose cannon on the outside' than at Westminster. He said he had chosen to attend the conference as he wants to use his high-profile to speak out against what the Tory government is doing.
“It's immoral to think at this moment in time, tax cuts should be given to the wealthy when people are so nervous and desperate,” he said. “The reason I'm there is to highlight with my voice that it’s just wrong.
“The problem we have is that the Conservative Party is very good at telling you that green is red and blue is green. We've got to the point whereby they make you feel like waiting two weeks to see your doctor is a good result.
“They have depressed our ambitions to such a low. I think we will wake up and look back in years to come at this era [of Tory government] and think what the hell were we doing sitting back and not speaking up. And that’s why I’m speaking up at this moment.”
In a swipe at Mr Kwarteng, Gary described him as 'the guy who woke up last week and laughed at the Queen’s funeral on Monday, then went and removed the cap on bankers’ bonuses on Thursday, laughing at the whole country'. "These guys are taking the absolute Mickey out of us," he added.
The Chancellor was caught on camera at the service at Westminster Abbey fidgeting and smirking. Gary went on: “I don't know any compassionate, normal-thinking man or woman in this country that would think with the cost of living crisis and people concerned about food that the right thing to do is to remove the cap on bankers’ bonuses.
“They are that cruel this government that even wealthy people are bemused. We know this is not a time for us to be able to get more money.
“We have not asked for more money, we have not demanded more money, we weren't expecting more money. We want to contribute to the country so we can have world class public services.
“However, they have been so under-invested in by this government over a 12-year period. They continue to just laugh at us constantly with what they’re doing.
“People are struggling to pay their energy bills this winter and they have given the help to people like myself. It just seems like madness. They are so removed from reality, I just hope that finally people recognise how bad and ill-thinking these people are.”
He added: “Football at this time is a little bit of a representation of our society. We’ve got enough money in football to go around, the top clubs think that they should keep it, that it shouldn’t be distributed more fairly to the rest. There is a lack of fairness and the reality is we need to change that - and it is the same in society.”
Gary lavished praise on Mr Starmer, saying: “We get on really well. Obviously, he’s a big Arsenal fan so we differ in our football teams that we support. But honestly, I think that compared to what we've seen in the Conservative Party, he is a man of integrity.
“Keir is smart, he’s held a very senior position at the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service). He’s shown that he has got leadership qualities, he is respected. He is a change that cannot come quick enough. We need change at the top."
In a message to members, he added: “One thing's for certain whatever side of the Labour Party you’re on, we need to make sure that we come together and unite because this is not a time for division within the Labour Party. This is the time now to get behind Keir 100 per cent. We need to remove the Conservative government.
"So for the next two years, we just need complete unity behind one voice, one man. Even if you’re not in favour of all of Keir’s policies, he is going to be 100 times better than what we are currently seeing.”
Gary, who since quitting football has built a career as a TV pundit, hotelier and property developer, insisted he is 'no wokie leftie'. “I’m an entrepreneurial business man who likes to make profit, but just believes also that we should have world class education, health, police, believes that there is enough to go around for everyone to succeed and believe everyone deserves an equal opportunity,” he said.
“I’m a capitalist, but I think we can also be fair, I think we can look after each other. And I genuinely believe that."
It has been suggested he could run to become an MP or Greater Manchester mayor if Andy Burnham steps down, but he said: “I think the reason that I can speak more directly and more to the point is because I'm not in politics. So I can go up there [to Labour conference in Liverpool] and speak from the heart.
“I think it’s far more beneficial for the Labour Party, as well as for me, to be a little bit of a loose cannon on the outside.”
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