Starmer is the only person in Britain that believes Labour are putting country before party
It’s been another difficult week for Keir Starmer’s government.
Having passed 100 days in power, and having lost the woman who was charged with plotting Labour’s journey from opposition, this Prime Minister can’t shake off allegations surrounding his meeting with Taylor Swift. His own Cabinet seem to be actively undermining and overwhelming him, as he is out manoeuvred by leakers.
That was before his own Foreign Secretary once again proved how unequal he is to his role as Britain’s top diplomat by snubbing a meeting with Commonwealth leaders in order to cosy up to China. As if on cue, Angela Rayner looks poised to intervene to help in the planning application for a new Chinese Embassy in Tower Hamlets.
Labour’s image has taken a battering. Popularity ratings are dipping so low that there’s already talk of what form of relaunch is required to salvage the next 100 days.
As Rachel Reeves hopes to use her Budget to heap more misery on the middle classes, there are serious concerns that the public will simply burst out laughing whenever hapless ministers are rolled out on TV. Nobody believes their claims that this a government putting country before party.
This week I interviewed Conservative leadership contender Kemi Badenoch. She lamented Labour’s student politics being practiced at every level and department of state. She vowed to expose their weaknesses if she becomes Leader of the Opposition next month. She has much to target.
If it’s not Louise Haigh caving in to the demands of the unions while not speaking for the Prime Minister over P&O Ferries, it’s Peter Kyle admitting that he was the sixth minister to accept freebie tickets for Swift. If it’s not Rachel Reeves trying to justify her National Insurance manifesto betrayal, it’s Wes Streeting trying to convince us that fat jabs that cost billions of pounds will get people back to work. Massive misfire follows massive misfire.
Labour’s agenda is beginning to look like a straight out war on working people. That phrase was so often trotted out at the election. But those are the people who will be massively worse off after the Budget as Reeves raids pensions, fuel, jobs, and inheritance in a four pronged attack on their earnings and savings.
Labour are also not only looking at expanding the number of asylum processing centres until 2032, but are actively seeking more hotels to put the increasing numbers of illegal migrants coming to our shores, at a cost of billions. All this when Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary and the Netherlands are shutting their borders and demanding an end to the Schengen Agreement. The EU itself now wants a Rwanda style third country solution for mass deportations. Starmer will be left as Europe’s only leader holding the only welcome sign for migrants.
The message is clear. If you work for a living we will punish you. If you strive to make your child’s life better than yours, we will tax you more. But if you come here illegally without documents we will house you, clothe you, and cover your medical bills. And if you prefer to stay on benefits for the rest of your life you’ll get the same pension as someone who has put into the system all their lives.
For many of my viewers and listeners this week, the jailing of Lucy Connolly was the final straw. The Tory councillor’s wife posted a reckless and ludicrous tweet during the riots for which she will now spend at least two years behind bars - just as child sex offenders and burglars are spared jail.
In Starmer’s head he is still putting country before party. But he is the only person in Britain who believes that.
Mike Graham is the host of Morning Glory every weekday morning from 6.30am