Last week Keir Starmer delivered the first conference speech from a Labour prime minister in 15 years. Rebuilding a party riven by factionalism and finally ousting the Conservatives from power should have been a cause for celebration, unbridled joy and jubilation. Yet, it felt flat, subdued, almost surreal. The cloud of unpopular policy decisions and allegations of cronyism hung heavily over proceedings.
Just three months ago Labour were swept to power with a crushing majority but already it is beginning to feel like the wheels are coming off.
Sir Keir did not lean into the historic victory or take time to acknowledge their party’s colossal numerical advantage at Westminster. Rather than a victory lap, this was a prime minister struggling to find a coherent narrative and outline a vision that could give a much-needed injection of positivity and hope.
Given the nature and extent of the Labour party’s victory in July, it is simply extraordinary that commentators were highlighting the need for Starmer to rally the troops and energise the base.
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I am old enough to remember when Tony Blair was swept to power in 1997, there was belief that “things could only get better”. He had a plan, a vision, he aimed to move beyond the left and the right to deliver a “third way”, a modernised social democracy with a focus on social justice.
The mood of the country changed, there was a charismatic leader with a progressive, systematic and innovative agenda. In his 1997 conference speech, Blair quipped: “I am a modern man leading a modern country.”
Britain had been stuck in the past and he was presented as the man to drive it forward. He was an outstanding communicator, one who understood the importance of incentives, priorities, mantras and setting out a plan.
Starmer had two main tasks: to assert his control over the political narrative; and to set out his vision for the future. Sadly, I don’t really think that he fully managed either.
The freebies scandal that had poisoned the atmosphere was not addressed. No admission of wrongdoing, no acknowledgement of poor judgment, no determination to fix things.
Pat McFadden, Starmer’s trusted adviser, has not broken the rules by claiming £40,000 expenses to rent a property, even though he owns the house next door - an indication if ever there was one that the rules are not fit for purpose.
There was no mention of the long-promised appointment of an independent ethics and integrity commissioner to clean up Whitehall. The ‘clothes-gate’ farrago points to a damning sense of entitlement.
This administration must ensure probity in government and challenge the view that those in power feel entitled to operate a chumocracy. It doesn’t take a genius to know that freebies and cuts don’t mix.
Greed and corruption were the hallmarks of previous Tory administrations, and Labour must act decisively to allay fears that all politicians are the same.
I still struggle to understand why a multi-millionaire would need help with the cost of their glasses. What is he playing at? Pardon the pun but, can’t he see that this is not a good look? This whole sorry saga has been a gift for the all-powerful right-wing media in the UK who are having a field day bashing Labour.
Starmer is not a natural media performer, he stills looks wooden and scripted, although to be fair his delivery has significantly improved. The speech was long, rambling disjointed and in parts utterly meaningless.
It sounded like something that had been cut and pasted together by a team of earnest, eager advisers, determined to get their newest clever phrases included. Jargon such as “the defiance of ambition” and “the determination of service” are utterly meaningless.
Rather than a victory lap after July’s historic general election victory, Sir Keir Starmer is a prime minister struggling to find a coherent narrative and outline a vision that could give a much-needed injection of positivity and hope
Labour inherited an atrocious legacy of 14 years of chaos and economic irresponsibility but there are only so many times we can hear about the “mess left by the Tories” and the £22 billion black hole. In terms of political ideology, we are none the wiser what this prime minister stands for. There was no comprehensive, overarching theme.
To their credit, in terms of policy changes, Labour have hit the ground including the creation of a national wealth fund, GB Energy and planning reforms. Unfortunately, these have been enacted in a piecemeal fashion. Starmer must join the dots and explain how these are part of a bigger plan.
Scrapping the universal winter fuel payment was a mistake. Modelling and analysis of cuts must take a long-term view, assess the damage to the social fabric and the wellbeing of the population. Being told that tough decisions need to be made for “long-term economic gains” hardly engenders optimism.
Also, his repeated references to serving the interests of “working people” was grating. What about carers, unemployed people, disabled people and older people? Do they not matter?
Starmer makes much of his love of football, yet he seems to have little understanding of damage inflicted by spectacular own goals. He has until the October budget to get match fit.
