Keir Starmer jokes of press-up contest with Boris Johnson at PMQs

'Maybe question one should be first to 50,' says Labour leader

Sir Keir Starmer has jokingly proposed a press-up contest with Boris Johnson at prime minister’s questions this week, saying: “Maybe question one should be first to 50”.

The bizarre challenge from the Labour leader comes after Mr Johnson proved his ability to perform at least one press-up during a Mail on Sunday interview, in order to demonstrate that he “was fit, or fit-ish”.

According to the newspaper the prime minister volunteered to do the press-up in an effort to show his physical strength – after his own experience with coronavirus – and proceeded to “hurl himself to the floor”.

Mr Johnson said he was “fit as a butcher’s dog” and “full of beans”, but the image of the prime minister exercising in his No 10 study was met with incredulity and embarrassment from some on social media platforms.

Asked by ITV presenter Piers Morgan whether he could do more than one press up, the Sir Keir replied: “I can. I was thinking at PMQs this week, maybe question one should be first to 50.”

During the interview on Good Morning Britain, Sir Keir also said there had been a “total lack” of planning in the reopening of schools – after the government dropped plans earlier this month to return all primary pupils back to schools in England before the summer holidays.

He said a task force should have been put together “two or three months ago” and a plan formed to utilise free public spaces such as libraries and community centres that remained shut during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.