By Alice Richardson
12 weeks ago, we entered a new government with a glimpse of hope that an era of scandal, uncertainty, and controversy was over. Unfortunately, unless we look at Starmer’s premiership through heavily rose-tinted glasses, it is clear that this era has not yet passed. With escalating tensions in the Middle East and riots in the UK, the context in which Starmer entered government has posed its own challenges. Furthermore, his controversial policies and his first big scandal, “Frockgate”, have resulted in the public and press questioning how different his leadership will be from the Conservative era we have just left behind.
However, whilst Starmer does have a certain talent for exacerbating already turbulent conditions, I don’t believe he is at a crisis point just yet. His behaviour, whilst perplexing, is not in any way unexpected given his track record. His policies over the past four years of his leadership have been unclear; even in the election campaign, we could still not paint a clear picture of what a Starmer government would look like. The proposed ban on outdoor smoking in pubs is a prime example of a seemingly non-urgent policy being given unwarranted priority over far more pressing matters such as the conflict in the Middle East.
Yet Starmer’s stance (or lack thereof) on the Middle East is perhaps one of the least unexpected parts of his first 12 weeks as Prime Minister. With a history of antisemitism within the Labour Party, it’s not exactly a shock that their leader may be afraid of the political consequences of standing up to Israel. The riots in the UK, fuelled by Islamophobia and racism, may have caused him to exercise further caution to avoid inspiring any further discrimination. This might be a case of him biding his time, creating a more settled atmosphere at home before making a stand on something that could perhaps attract controversy within and beyond his party. It’s the direction he takes over the next few months, starting with the Labour Party Conference as we saw on Tuesday, that should hopefully provide some clarity over his stance on the conflict.
"It will be the next few months that determine whether this Labour government will sink or swim, and Starmer needs to tread incredibly carefully if he wants to succeed."
The tip of the controversy iceberg is Labour's decision to cut the winter fuel payment, which is already threatening to divide Parliament and the Labour Party itself. This policy could go either way, it could be reason for extreme concern or, if it pays off, could start to fill the “£22 billion black hole” left by the last government.
There is always a concern with such cuts for those who marginally miss out on the payment and who may suffer as a consequence. However, this is one of the sacrifices that Starmer has repeatedly said may need to be made, and whilst D Ream’s “things can only get better” became an anthem of yet another Labour election win, Starmer has been clear that things are likely to get worse before they can improve.
The decision wasn’t terrible in itself; it shows how policy can be used in a targeted way to protect the most vulnerable and only take from those who were either not claiming the payment or did not need it. This policy will likely be pivotal in the months to come. Whether Starmer sticks to his guns or backs down will shape at least the next year of his premiership, if not its entirety.
The “Frockgate” scandal has added yet another layer of complication to Starmer’s first 12 weeks. The unravelling of his personal finances and the excessive donations he has received has been an unnecessary headache for Starmer, who spent a large proportion of his time in opposition denouncing Tory sleaze. Following the countless scandals in the Conservative Party over the past 4 years, Starmer should be acutely aware of how carefully he must tread. The “Partygate” scandal was a demonstration of how out of touch the Conservatives were with the public, creating a disillusioned society in a time of crisis. By accepting hundreds of thousands of pounds of donations from Labour donors, Starmer is threatening to fuel the same disillusionment.
Starmer is not in a state of crisis, at least not just yet. It will be the next few months that determine whether this Labour government will sink or swim, and Starmer needs to tread incredibly carefully if he wants to succeed.
Image: Jessica Taylor / Wikimedia Commons
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