It’s cruel to call it another U-turn. But growing speculation about Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation, days after insisting he wouldn’t walk away from Number 10, feels fitting.
Last week, the Prime Minister pledged to fight any challenger to his role. Steadfast, if weary, interviews like the one below pointed to progress on growth and NHS waiting lists. This progress doesn’t seem to cut through to the wider public though.
Andy Burnham’s resounding win in the Makerfield by-election changed the tone, gradually then suddenly.
Talk of fighting on is fading, with ministers saying yesterday that the Prime Minister is reflecting on his position. Today, in the face of mounting pressure and fighting back tears, he resigned. *
So here we are, less than two years after storming into office, facing the prospect of a SEVENTH Prime Minister in a decade. His promise to businesses in Bristol to end the psychodrama that defined politics over that period feels like a speck in the distance.
It’s desperately sad that it’s come to this. And it highlights to me a collective madness that passes for public discourse about politics in this country, fuelled largely by bad actors.
‘I wish him well,’ said Donald Trump casually overlooking the fact that net migration into the UK is falling under Labour.
The worst PM ever? Really?!
Starmer’s government has made mistakes that frustrate me. The early talk of a £22bn black hole in public finances was needlessly negative and dented confidence in the economy just as recovery started to bed in. It spoke to a petty desire to trash the legacy they’d inherited that should be beneath a grown-up administration.
Those early weeks presented a perfect opportunity to set out clearly what the ‘change’ they campaigned in the election would feel like, and how the government would make it happen.
“We know we’ve got some tough decisions ahead, but better times await us. And this is how we’re getting there.”
That story never came, creating a gap that opponents in the media and online readily filled.
And somehow, reports abound that he’s the least popular PM ever. Since polling records began. Less popular than Liz Truss, who crashed the pound and sent interest rates spiralling during her 49-day stint? I think we’ve lost our minds if that’s the case.
Step forward Andy Burnham
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham demonstrated to concerned Labour members and supporters that there is a way to beat the threat posed by Reform, by thrashing them in Makerfield last week.
I’ve heard him as mayor speak about how Westminster politics fails places outside London and agree with his diagnosis. He’s proved in Greater Manchester, where economic growth has outpaced a sluggish national economy, that change can happen faster in cities when strong local leaders have powers to drive it forward.
He could now have an opportunity to put more power in the hands of local leaders to bring his brand of ‘Manchesterism’ to bear in other places. That’s an enticing prospect, which we need to hear more about in the weeks ahead. Whether you think this leadership drama should happen or not, now we are here, it’s vitally important to have a proper discussion on what Andy Burnham stands for.
There are big questions to answer.
- What does the first 100 days, and the first year, look like?
- How will a Burnham government transfer genuine powers from London to cities?
- When can we expect action on household bills and the cost of living?
- How can we tackle long-standing crises in housing affordability, youth unemployment, and low paid insecure work that drive people to consider voting for Reform?
- And how can we do all of this while spending more than we have ever done on defence?
Tackling the threat of Reform
We’ve heard lots about the threat posed by Reform, who were so resoundingly defeated in Makerfield after losing soundly in Gorton and Denton to the Green Party.
Nigel Farage’s party showed itself once again as a rabble. They will surely struggle to field enough decent candidates to form a government at the next election. That’s not to underplay the threat they pose. But it highlights to me that the best way to tackle Reform is by having a capable government that raises living standards and improves public services. Speaking about the threat Reform poses isn’t enough – remember Project Fear? The public have tuned out.
Labour should start with answering the questions posed in this blog clearly and consistently, to define what ‘change’ looks like. This goes beyond a long list of achievements – look at what we’ve done. Aren’t we busy! It’s the missing part of Keir Starmer’s tenure for me. Labour should not repeat that mistake.
Whatever happens next, it’s a good time to take a breath. Many will be tempted by the prospect of a swift handover to a new Prime Minister. Voters in Makerfield showed that they’ll support a positive campaign.
But we need a credible prospectus for change alongside the positivity. That means a proper contest which first sets out what Burnhamism looks like in practice.
* This piece was originally written before Keir Starmer resigned at 9.30am on 22 June, and updated to reflect that.