dOn Sunday, October 13, Keir Starmer passed the symbolic mark of one hundred days at the head of the British government. The Labor Party leader certainly did not expect a healthy start, but perhaps not such a disastrous start either. According to a YouGov poll published for this occasion, six in ten Britons already disapprove of their Government’s action and 47% of those who voted for the Labor Party are disappointed. Where has the hope sparked by the historic victory of the British Left Party in the July 4 legislative elections gone?
On the steps of Downing Street, Keir Starmer promised to definitively turn the page on fourteen years of chaotic Conservative government, marked by Brexit, austerity and scandals. He had campaigned on the “ change “ and spoke of involving the country in a “decade of renewal”.
But very quickly the atmosphere darkened. Instead of outlining perspectives and giving hope, the leader and his Finance Minister, Rachel Reeves, have darkened the picture, a board denounces. “unexpected » of 22 billion pounds sterling (about 26 billion euros) left by Rishi Sunak’s government. The first budget will be “painful” they warned.
Dysfunctional teams
The racist riots of early August were quickly quelled and Keir Starmer’s firmness was praised. As Director of Public Prosecutions in England, he had faced similar events during the London riots of 2011. This political capital quickly dissipated in late summer, when the national media began to make headlines about the ” gifts”, these multiple donations that Keir Starmer, his wife and some ministers were weak enough to accept: suits, glasses, dresses, evenings in Ibiza, tickets to the Taylor Swift concert or multiple tickets to football matches…
The leader, who, in the opposition, had focused his criticism on the dubious agreements of conservative elected officials with legality or morality (such as these public contracts awarded to relatives during the pandemic, Boris Johnson’s vacations and wedding paid for by donors, etc.), now seems like a hypocrite, especially because at the same time the government seems to attack the finances of the most vulnerable. In fact, Rachel Reeves has announced the abolition of the “fuel benefit”, an energy subsidy that benefits 11 million retirees. The poorest will continue to receive it, but millions of others will be deprived of it despite their modest pension.
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