Starmer says he's happy to be called a 'fiscal conservative' because he refuses to commit to increased government spending

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Sir Keir Starmer said he was happy to be called a 'fiscal conservative' as he repeatedly refused to commit to increased spending on the NHS and other public services.

The Labor leader has been branded 'delusional' by the Labor left - but Sir Keir insisted he didn't mind 'ruffling feathers' and he argued that his party could not win power by offering reckless spending promises.

< p>Mr. Starmer is also facing a row over his party's benefits policy, after revealing that a Labor government would maintain the controversial two-child cap on benefits designed by austerity architect George Osborne. /p>

His shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth only signaled the end of the two-child benefit cap last month – calling the policy “odious” and saying it “ absolutely kept the children in poverty”.

But asked the BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg if it removed the cap, which limits support to the first two children, Sir Keir said, "We are not changing this policy."

Mr. Starmer repeatedly refused to say whether Labor would spend more on public services if they were in power, saying only: “A Labor government will always invest in our public services. The way to invest in our public services is to grow our economy.

Pressing for 'reform' of the NHS rather than committing to more money, Sir Keir said: 'If all we do is just patch things up and then keep going we will not fix the fundamentals and that is why reform is so important. I don't care what label people put on me.

Sir Keir is believed to want a Labor government to keep up with Tory tax and public spending levels until growth returns to Britain's faltering economy.

The Labor leader admitted his frustration with his budget cut plan. "Taking seriously the basics of economic responsibility may not get people's pulse racing, but the new country we can build on top of it will do," Sir Keir wrote in The Observer< /em>.

Keir Starmer is under pressure to spend more on public services

(PA Wire)