Keir Starmer’s response to Pride of Britain winners as they offer wishlists

Keir Starmer met the Pride of Britain winners in No10 today and promised to improve the nation in their honour.

The PM was overcome by their heroic tales as they outlined how he could help.

He vowed to meet some again to discuss further a range of issues.

Mr Starmer has only been in No10 four months, but he met the first ­challenge to his leadership on Tuesday in the form of Pride of Britain hero Florrie Bark.

The eight-year-old Child of Courage award winner told the PM he had better watch out as she warned him: “I’m going to take over.” The cheeky jibe came after Mr Starmer invited all the Pride of Britain, with TSB, winners to a special reception in No10, the day after the awards ceremony in London.

After he listened to their stories of ­inspiration and demands, the PM promised to help them make the country better. Mr Starmer was asked for a pay rise for paramedics, said he would meet with domestic abuse campaigners, chatted with those fighting for contaminated blood compensation – and was even ordered to sort of the controversial VAR in football.

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton and Diana Parkes won a Special Recognition award for their ­tireless work campaigning for children living in domestic abuse situations.

Mr Starmer agreed to further conversations with the pair. They founded the Joanna Simpson Foundation, named after Diana’s daughter and Hetti’s best friend, who was murdered by her husband in 2010.

Hetti said: “I’ve been waiting a long time for that conversation. We’ll make it happen, I won’t let go of that one. We need full reform of the murder law, that’s what we were telling him.”

Michelle Tolley, Andy Evans and Jason Evans received the Special ­Recognition award for their campaign on contaminated blood. Andy said he told Mr Starmer compensation was “derisory” and taking too long and asked the PM to look into it. He added: “It was good to flag it to him.”

Michelle, who still had glitter in her hair from the night before, said: “I thought, ‘Why not put a bit of sparkle into the government?’” She told how Mr Starmer agreed with her that people with contaminated blood still out there need to be “found and treated”.

Florrie, who stole the show at Monday night’s awards with her humour and infectious laugh, was also on form in No10 yesterday. The youngster, who has acute myeloid leukaemia, met Angela Rayner.

Florrie said her and older brother Freddie are so short that they’re roughly the same height when she’s in her wheelchair. The Deputy PM warned her boys grow quickly and Florrie replied: “We’re little elves and they’re giants.” As Ms Rayner left, the young cancer charity fundraiser said: “What’s that lady’s job? Is she the Prime Minister’s friend?”

Florrie also told how she and Jacob Newson, 10, who raised more than £130,000 in memory of his mum late Andrea, have become best friends through Pride of Britain. The pair spotted Larry the cat outside No10 and raced off after him.

Jacob asked Mr Starmer for a pay rise for his dad Andy, a paramedic. But Andy interjected and said: “I actually just got one from the Prime Minister. So I’m good.”

Manny Singh Kang, who raised £260,000 for Dementia Care UK, chatted to the PM, an avid Arsenal fan, about football. The Wolves supporter said: “I told him to sort out VAR. And I said to introduce railway safety in the national curriculum. He said, ‘That’s a good idea.’” Former midwife Agnes Nisbett, 87, who danced on stage when she was presented with her Community Hero award, said of the visit to No10: “I can’t believe I’m here.”

The PM also met former Gurkha Hari Budha Magar, a double amputee who climbed Everest.