Anatomy of a rebellion: why Keir Starmer’s first brush with parliamentary revolt over two-child benefit cap is a symbolic moment: Flickr/UK Parliament, CC BY-NC-ND Following the state opening of parliament, the House of Commons has been debating the contents of the king’s speech (referred to as the debate on the address). This unfolds over the …
Israel, Palestine and the Labour party history that has made Keir Starmer’s position so difficult: I said: “I found the British still very emotional about Palestine. Why?” And he said: “It’s associated, don’t you think with partisanship with one side or the other. I can’t think of any colony or mandate that was as demanding …
Keir Starmer’s chance to sparkle: Labour leader finally puts his working class credentials to work for him: Starmer’s challenge in his speech to the Labour party conference was to present himself as a prime minister in waiting. To achieve this, he had to embody both authority and authenticity, credibility as a leader but also sympathy …
The UK’s top financial influencers skew Conservative – which helps explain why Keir Starmer’s Labour is so anxious about uncosted spending pledges: It has become a common complaint among some Labour supporters that Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves are being too cautious about their spending commitments in preparing for a future Labour government. …
Local elections: what does a good night look like for Keir Starmer’s Labour or Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives?: Thursday May 4 sees one of the biggest English local elections in recent memory. These are huge contests, covering 237 councils, of which 151 are holding all-out elections, with every seat up for grabs. In the other 86, …
Why 2023 is a make-or-break year for Keir Starmer’s Labour party: Labour has understandably begun 2023 in an upbeat mood. Polls give the party around 45% of the vote and with the Conservatives on just 19%, power once again feels within reach. But the Labour party is a strange beast. It has an incredible capacity …
Keir Starmer’s conference speech offered a clearer ideological position – even more ambition will now be needed: One thing was very clear from Keir Starmer’s conference speech in Liverpool: Conservative prime minister Liz Truss’s policy choices are helping the Labour leader define a clearer ideological position. A key dividing line, reiterated by Starmer throughout this …
Labour reshuffle: Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet exudes confidence – but the party’s left has been shut out: Labour leader Keir Starmer’s reshuffle of his shadow cabinet has ended up proving far-reaching in scope. This changing of the guard is clearly the sequel to a piecemeal reshuffle in May that was botched because of a struggle …
Keir Starmer’s first conference speech as Labour leader was a serious affair – here’s what you need to know: Keir Starmer’s first in-person conference speech as Labour leader covered a lot of ground, though there was no single piece of rhetoric to act as a governing idea. It wasn’t an Ed Miliband “one nation” moment. …
What’s happened to Keir Starmer’s leadership?: In June last year, Ed Miliband was asked on The Andrew Marr Show whether Keir Starmer was going to be a better leader of the Labour Party than he had been. “Definitely,” he responded, adding: “I certainly never had his approval ratings”. Today, Starmer is experiencing the kind of …
Hartlepool by-election: red wall seat will be a key test for Keir Starmer’s leadership: Since the end of last year, the Labour party and its leader Keir Starmer have been struggling in the polls. This is for a range of reasons, including ongoing internal party divisions. Starmer has been personally criticised for not taking a …
Keir Starmer’s political brand: Captain Hindsight or Admiral Foresight?: Keir Starmer’s honeymoon period as leader of the Labour Party appears to be over. He had a robust start when he took over in April 2020, winning over large swaths of party members and outperforming Boris Johnson in polls on “most trusted” and as “preferred choice …
Keir Starmer’s dilemma: should Labour vote in favour of a Brexit deal in parliament?: Since becoming leader of the Labour party, Keir Starmer’s approach to the politics of Brexit has been a simple one: please everybody, we need to talk about something else. But the time may soon arrive when the topic can no longer …
Inside the politics of Keir Starmer’s decision to suspend Jeremy Corbyn from the Labour party: Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been suspended from the party, now led by Keir Starmer. Why was Jeremy Corbyn suspended from the Labour party? There has been some confusion over this point since the announcement that the whip had …