Keir Starmer: How has his first 100 days been?
Keir Starmer’s victory in the general election back in July was essentially guaranteed. With his main competition being a Tory government that was stumbling at every hurdle, the majority he now has was always a matter of when not if.
Now, Starmer will be reaching the 100-day mark of his Prime Ministership this weekend. Labour’s campaign message was simple – ‘Change’ – a slogan the Prime Minister will not soon let you forget. But has he achieved or even set the groundwork for the change he and voters seek?
If his popularity among voters is anything to go by, it certainly is not looking that way.
(All stats and evidence of points made regarding popularity can be found from YouGov’s polling here)
Starmer’s Labour is one that has faced widespread controversy in its early days of government. While they are certainly not to the extent of Partygate or a disastrous mini budget, enough of a narrative has been created to leave a sour taste in the public’s mouths.
The greatest controversy thus far has been the plan to means test the winter fuel payment. This means that many pensioners would no longer be eligible for the £200-£300 to help pay their heating bills in the winter, which has been met with great opposition from every other party in Westminster and from the public.
Another controversy is that of the row regarding donations made to the party. Starmer was gifted the likes of tickets to concerts, hospitality at football matches and designer clothes for his wife. Many other Labour ministers have also accepted various gifts and saw expenses covered.
Polling has also shown that the far-right riots that happened over the summer were handled quite poorly by the Prime Minister, with it being an issue that grew out of control quickly.
That is not to say that it has been a completely bumpy ride for Starmer. His government was able to secure a pay deal with striking junior doctors and train drivers and has made strides in clean energy by lifting the ban on onshore wind farms and making progress in setting up GB Energy. But as always in politics, the bad always gets more attention than the good.
In my view, it seems that Starmer’s new version of Labour has alienated the group of people who are supposed to benefit the most from them – the working class. Limiting the winter fuel payment while raking in expensive gifts while claiming to be on the side of working people just is not a good look for the party.
However, in speaking with John Curtis, British political scientist and professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde, it was highlighted to me that the dislike of Starmer is not an unexpected outcome.
He said: “We’re talking about his popularity falling, the first thing we need to understand is that he was never popular in the first place – he has never been a popular leader.
“We are not talking about someone here who had a great deal of enthusiasm from the public, someone who would be cherished as a political leader.
“He is seen as not very exciting, very dull.”
Keir Starmer has repeatedly said how he has no issue being unpopular, believing he needs to make the hard choices to allow the economy to recover. Ironically, the politician he is inspired the most by, Margaret Thatcher, had a similarly bad reception when she first came to office.
For Starmer, it is early days, and he is under no real pressure given the majority he currently has. He has all the time to resonate more with the public, but for now, in his first 100 days, he has not made the impact he may have hoped he could have had.
