What is the point of Keir Starmer? After a year, we still don't know.

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InglebyUTB said:
Article in the Guardian today.

I think he's done ok but if Labour fail to perform in the local elections he is in for a tough summer.

www.theguardian.com

What is the point of Keir Starmer? After a year, we still don't know | Moya Lothian-McLean

The tepid Labour leader, once so lauded, has failed to offer anything to vote for, says Moya Lothian-McLean, political editor at gal-dem.com
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
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If Labour do well in the byelection, it won't be attributed Starmer, but the reputation of Paul Williams as a good hard working MP.
 
Other than being a useful idiot to keep the heat from being too strong for the present government, who knows.
 
Current polling shows the Tories would win an Election tomorrow with a 20 seat majority and that's after a vaccine bounce which looks to be falling. Just before the vaccine program launched the Tories were short of an overall majority.

Keir Starmer's first year as Labour leader has been during an unprecedented crisis in which simply opposing the government at every opportunity is not viable, especially given Labour have not had access to any of the latest scientific advice when voting on legislation.

On top of this the Tories have been aided and abetted by a very friendly media and client journalists the likes I've never seen before. Everything Labour do is bad, anything the Tories do that's bad, Labour would have done worse, anything else is ignored.

The acid test for Labour is holding the government to account over its failures leading up to the next election, which is when we will see what Keir Starmer's vision for government will be about.
 
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I’m personally gutted that he hasn’t had the required impact. I know the Covid situation hasn’t helped but the government have been so inept they were there for the taking. I only hope he knows what he’s doing and he’s playing the long game.!
 
Chris_Boro said:
The acid test for Labour is holding the government to account over its failures leading up to the next election, which is when we will see what Keir Starmer's vision for government will be about.
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But as soon as the opposition query the government's handling of Corona lockdowns, EU etc it will be thrown back in their faces that they voted for the bills in the Commons in support of the Government.

The one that I can recall Labour voting against so far has been the Police & Crime Bill but that opposition wasn't about how stupid the legislation was per se, that is was the Dangerous Dog act for the 21st century but that it didn't go far enough.

It will be interesting to see if the return of MPs to the house will bolster Starmer's inquisitions of Johnson or whether they'll be lost in the tumult while the Prime Minstrel plays to the crowd.
 
There is along way to go to the next election. Last weeks PMQ's were a massive victory for Starmer and he made Johnson look like a bumbling, lying fool.
 
newusername said:
But as soon as the opposition query the government's handling of Corona lockdowns, EU etc it will be thrown back in their faces that they voted for the bills in the Commons in support of the Government.

The one that I can recall Labour voting against so far has been the Police & Crime Bill but that opposition wasn't about how stupid the legislation was per se, that is was the Dangerous Dog act for the 21st century but that it didn't go far enough.

It will be interesting to see if the return of MPs to the house will bolster Starmer's inquisitions of Johnson or whether they'll be lost in the tumult while the Prime Minstrel plays to the crowd.
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You can make a case for Labour voting for, against or abstaining for every legislation during this crisis, the fact is everyone will have a different opinion and Labour would be criticised either way.

The test of Keir Starmer and Labour's strategy will be at the polling booth at the next General Election. Only then can it be judged as right or wrong.
 
Chris_Boro said:
You can make a case for Labour voting for, against or abstaining for every legislation during this crisis, the fact is everyone will have a different opinion and Labour would be criticised either way.

The test of Keir Starmer and Labour's strategy will be at the polling booth at the next General Election. Only then can it be judged as right or wrong.
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That’s simply not true. A party’s actions whilst in opposition themselves lead to the outcome at the General Election. The party has to take stances on government legislation that will win them back the votes. Not to mention the votes they have in the Commons which play a role in whether laws get passed at all.

What you are saying - let’s sit back and wait til election time- just does away with the point of adversarial parliament altogether.
 
Given the circumstances what more really could he have done ? Everything news wise is dominated by Covid, he has consistently challenged aspects of the government’s response but has to play the long game and pick his fights.

I’ve been disappointed at times with some policy decisions and the continued factionalism within the party, I think on occasion the baby has gone with the bathwater, however I can’t think of a party leader who I haven’t had disagreement with on certain issues.

The nearest parallel to the current situation I can draw is World War 2, Churchill was a far greater statesman than Johnson, and had the sense to create a coalition government, Atlee, played the long game and was rewarded with victory in 1945, Johnson, if he sticks around, will suffer a post Covid back lash once repayments for the furlough scheme etc start to kick in, Johnson loves to wave a flag and give his sesquipedalian speeches and interviews, but a long term plan to rebuild a country from a major financial furrow isn’t something that appears to be on his skill set.
 
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Chris_Boro said:
That based on polls or just your opinion?

If polls please link a source as I'd be interested in looking.
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Just my opinion really as a young Labour voter myself, for what it's worth.

Looking into it though:

According to the same poll, Starmer has better ratings than any opposition leader since Tony Blair. But it’s the underlying data that should prove more alarming: among the under-35s, just 26% are satisfied with Starmer, compared with 38% who are dissatisfied. Corbynism attracted more younger voters to Labour than at any point in electoral history: but they have less loyalty to any political party than any previous generation.

www.theguardian.com

By ignoring young voters, Labour is creating an opening for the Greens

Young people want a strong state to bring about social equality and a green economy, but Keir Starmer isn’t offering this, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
 
InglebyUTB said:
Article in the Guardian today.

I think he's done ok but if Labour fail to perform in the local elections he is in for a tough summer.

www.theguardian.com

What is the point of Keir Starmer? After a year, we still don't know | Moya Lothian-McLean

The tepid Labour leader, once so lauded, has failed to offer anything to vote for, says Moya Lothian-McLean, political editor at gal-dem.com
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com
Click to expand...
another newish username, with barely any football posts and anti-labour political post! It's almost like the board has been infiltrated with working class tory stooges.

As for Starmer, I'm not into personality politics, if you do that you get people like Johnson. I prefer to work on policies, and labour won't need a manifesto until 6 months prior to the next election, so I'll reserve judgement until I see what it looks like instead of playing silly games.
 
I was impressed with him initially when he was calmly tearing BJ a new one each week at PMQ’s but he’s since come across as a Tory spokesperson. I think we’ll have to give him the benefit of the doubt until the Tories can no longer use the emotional blackmail of Covid to hide behind, but I expect them to be taken apart piece by piece
once the gloves are off!
 
Colin Warnek said:
That’s simply not true. A party’s actions whilst in opposition themselves lead to the outcome at the General Election. The party has to take stances on government legislation that will win them back the votes. Not to mention the votes they have in the Commons which play a role in whether laws get passed at all.

What you are saying - let’s sit back and wait til election time- just does away with the point of adversarial parliament altogether.
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Starmer has stood at the dispatch box to explain on each occasion why the party has voted the way it has on each legislation, none of which Labour had any chance of winning if voting against. You don't agree that's the right choice but it doesn't make it the wrong one either.

Jeremy Corbyn inflicted many huge defeats opposing the government. Was then painted as undemocratic and got hammered in the election.

Opposing the government is not exclusively tied to voting against all government legislation, scrutiny of it is.

Covid has exposed parliament for being too slow in allowing time for effective scrutiny of legislation, which some people will again have strong opinions on. For many of the votes, MP's simply have not had time to scrutinise and press for ammendments.
 
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