By :Deepak Saini
The UK Labour Party’s return to power in the UK was a moment of hope for many, especially after 14 years of Conservative rule. However, just a few months into office, the honeymoon period seems to be ending for Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his party. Many people in Britain, who had high hopes for change, are now feeling disillusioned.
In July, the UK saw a major shift in leadership when the Labour Party came back into power, taking over from the Conservatives, commonly known as the Tories. The Tories had a turbulent time in power, with five different prime ministers in just 14 years. One of the most infamous was Liz Truss, whose term as prime minister lasted just 49 days – shorter than the lifespan of a lettuce, according to some media reports. Her leadership saw the British economy suffer greatly, with the pound hitting an all-time low.
Now, after just over 80 days of Labour governance, the public’s patience is wearing thin. A recent opinion poll showed that Starmer is now less popular than his predecessor, Rishi Sunak. While Sunak’s approval rating stands at a low minus 25%, Starmer has managed to go one point lower at minus 26%. For someone who entered office promising positive change, this is a troubling sign.
Much of Starmer’s recent unpopularity can be traced back to two main issues. First, there’s the scandal over clothing donations. Reports revealed that Starmer accepted clothing worth £16,200, and his wife received clothes valued at around £5,000. This amounts to more than $28,000 in total, and the revelation has raised questions about where to draw the line between political donations and lavish gifts. What made matters worse was that Starmer’s deputy prime minister and his chancellor also accepted thousands of pounds worth of clothing from donors, leading to public outrage.
This scandal could not have come at a worse time. The Labour Party was preparing for its annual conference in Liverpool, a time when they hoped to celebrate their return to government. Instead, the focus shifted to damage control. Starmer quickly promised to stop accepting clothing donations, but the negative impact was already felt.
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The second major issue that has hurt Starmer’s popularity is his government’s decision to restrict winter fuel payments to pensioners. For years, these payments helped pensioners cope with rising heating costs during the winter. Now, only those who can prove they need the money will receive this financial support. This move is expected to save the government around £1.4 billion annually by cutting off payments to about 10 million pensioners. Unsurprisingly, this decision has led to widespread criticism, especially as the country continues to deal with a cost-of-living crisis.
While Starmer may have won the last election due to the mistakes of the Conservatives, he is now learning that governing is a much tougher challenge. Both the clothing scandal and the unpopular winter fuel decision have made it clear that the Labour Party’s honeymoon is over. The public’s discontent is growing, and Starmer will need to find a way to regain their trust if he hopes to avoid the same fate as his predecessors
