Keir Starmer was handed one of the largest parliamentary majorities in history, yet has contrived to make a complete “hash” of his first 100 days in office, says Daniel Johnson in The Telegraph. The resignation last week of his chief of staff, Sue Gray, is just the latest of an “almost unprecedented catalogue of misfortunes, almost all of them self-inflicted”. “Keir Scrounger, as he deserves to be known, is not only guilty of misconduct” by accepting freebies from Labour donor Waheed Alli, but has also “bungled almost everything he has touched in his first three months”.
As a result, no PM in modern history has “lost popularity so rapidly”. It’s unfortunate that, for the last few years, Starmer has chosen to “introduce himself to the British public” – from the other side of the dispatch box – as disapproving and superior, says Marina Hyde in The Guardian. You have to be “whiter than white” if you are going to “make a career out of peering judgmentally” through your £294 Oliver Peoples glasses, and Starmer hasn’t been. “Which brings us to the other unfortunate conclusion”, as a poll places Labour’s lead over the Tories at just one point: the sense that Labour has squandered almost all of its electoral goodwill for a relatively “minuscule sum”.
The list of Labour’s other missteps is long, from the decision to cut the winter heating allowance for 10 million pensioners and giving striking train drivers a £10,000-a-year pay rise to the failure to deal with successive revelations about gifts and donations. The government has scrapped the cap on social-care bills, voted to keep the two-child limit on benefit payments, released violent criminals early and made foreign-policy blunders (see below), while alienating allies. It was also quick to freeze infrastructure projects despite their “evident need” and is yet to address “multiple social crises”, says Will Hutton in The Observer.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
What's happening in Downing Street?
At least Sue Gray, who has provided “a masterclass in how not to respond to crises”, has been replaced by the more suitable, “pugnacious political hard man” Morgan McSweeney, says Tom Harris in The Telegraph. McSweeney “put iron in Starmer’s soul when he was struggling to carve out a path from opposition to government”. But if personalities matter, “structure, systems and discreet responsibilities” matter more, and McSweeney must put those structures in place as a matter of urgency. Perhaps then Labour could actually get on with doing something, says Sheersh Kapoor on CNBC.
One of the most “persistent criticisms” of Labour has been the “lack of concrete policy details” despite promises of economic growth and national renewal. There’s also the concerning absence of “clear ideological direction”. Unlike Tony Blair and Clement Attlee, who advanced “distinct political philosophies”, Starmer’s leadership has been “characterised by a more managerial approach”, which lacks the galvanising visionary element. Starmer is “unique in his ability to spread fear and despondency rather than good cheer”, says Johnson. “A key qualification for the job is to lift our spirits. That is not the Eeyore of Downing Street’s way.”
The Budget on 30 October will be a defining moment as chancellor Rachel Reeves scrambles to “balance the books” and deal with the alleged £22 billion “black hole” left by the Tory government, says James Tapsfield in the Daily Mail. Reeves appears to be backing away from plans to slash pension contribution reliefs and scrap the UK’s controversial non-dom status. Experts have warned that imposing 20% VAT on private school fees in January may even be “impossible”. Whatever is in store, the Budget will prove a critical test.
This article was first published in MoneyWeek's magazine. Enjoy exclusive early access to news, opinion and analysis from our team of financial experts with a MoneyWeek subscription.
-
What is the 25x retirement rule and does it work?The 25x retirement rule has been around for decades but many experts question if it is a suitable strategy
-
When is the self-assessment tax return deadline?If you are self-employed, rent out a property or earn income from savings or investments, you may need to complete a self-assessment tax return. We run through the deadlines you need to know about
-
Are wealthy whisky enthusiasts leaving Britain?Collectables Wealthy whisky enthusiasts are heading to tax-friendly countries such as Dubai, where there is more disposable income to spend on collectable luxuries like rare whisky.
-
'The rise and fall of Kodak is a lesson for the tech giants'Opinion The long decline of Kodak – a once-dominant company – shows why no business is safe from disruption, says Matthew Lynn
-
The financial crisis in UK universities – what can be done?UK universities are running out of cash and have begun to shed staff; bankruptcies look likely. What’s gone wrong, and what should be done about it?
-
8 of the best properties for sale with kitchen gardensThe best properties for sale with kitchen gardens – from a 17th-century timber-framed hall house in Norfolk, to an Arts & Crafts house in West Sussex designed by Charles Voysey with a garden by Gertrude Jekyll
-
'Governments are launching an assault on the independence of central banks'Opinion Say goodbye to the era of central bank orthodoxy and hello to the new era of central bank dependency, says Jeremy McKeown
-
Why investors can no longer trust traditional statistical indicatorsOpinion The statistical indicators and data investors have relied on for decades are no longer fit for purpose. It's time to move on, says Helen Thomas
-
Investors rediscover the virtue of value investing over growthGrowth investing, betting on rapidly expanding companies, has proved successful since 2008. But now the other main investment style seems to be coming back into fashion.
-
8 of the best properties for sale with shooting estatesThe best properties for sale with shooting estates – from an estate in a designated Dark Sky area in Ayrshire, Scotland, to a hunting estate in Tuscany with a wild boar, mouflon, deer and hare shoot
