Will Kier Starmer win the next General Election?
He’s been consistently leading in the opinion polls, but has Starmer got that extra something, that sparkle, that will get him into Number 10, and form the next UK government.
Up until mid-January 2024, Kier Starmer has been criticised for being boring and ineffective at the despatch box during PMQs. Although Angela Rayner supports Starmer publicly, her facial expression betrays her growing concern that his lack-lustre attempts to hold Richi Sunak to account are not working.
Kier Starmer’s biggest gaffe was stating, in October 2023, that Israel had every right to wage war. He implied that that allowed them to block the supply of food and water. It took a whole week for him to clarify that what he meant was that Israel had a right to defend itself but not a right to withhold humanitarian supplies.
11 Labour councillors resigned in protest. Starmer took Angela Rayner to a meeting with them in order to smooth things over. He had previously sacked Rayner, but he now realises that, without her, his popularity would fall and the likelihood of winning the next election with a big majority would be put in jeopardy.
Kier Starmer also disagrees with Mick Lynch, general secretary of the rail union RMT, who believes there should be a greater redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor. Starmer’s view is that he has to keep a centrist, and not an extreme left, position in politics in order for Labour to get into government.
He regularly has meetings with big business, has indicated that taxes will not rise under Labour, and is getting significant support from the business community which no longer fears his party’s reputation for high taxes on the rich.
Callaghan was famous for his comment that he would tax the rich “until the pips squeak”. It cost him an election. Kier Starmer is not going to make the same mistake.
Fast forward to the middle of January 2024.
The last few weeks have seen Starmer being more aggressive at Prime Minister’s Questions, embarrassing the prime minister in front of his own front bench cabinet and backbenchers. He has taken to heart the advice given to him in the interview shown in the next section.
Does her face show that she is unimpressed with Sunak’s attempts to pretend that all is well with the economy? Your thoughts and comments are welcomed.
Latest news. Labour has formally requested talks with the civil service in preparation for government if the party wins the election, and discussions are expected to start within two weeks. Sunak has raised no objections.
The Interview with Sir Keir Starmer.
Paste this link into your web browser, and listen to this short video. We will then discuss it. Comments welcome.
(5094) full disclosure james o’brien keir starmer — YouTube
O’brien has the knack of getting his interviewees to open up and reveal things about themselves. He has succeeded, in this video, in showing us a side of the UK’s leader of the opposition that we have not seen before.
Sir Kier Starmer’s Background
As he shows us in the interview, Starmer was born into a poor but loving rural family, and is the eldest of their 4 children. They were not rich but were determined to use what money they had to give their children the best education possible.
They motivated all their children to be “upwardly mobile”, to improve the quality of life which the family currently had.
Kier Starmer was lucky enough to go to a state grammar school which did not charge fees, and entered university in 1980 when tuition and maintenance costs were paid for by the local authority.
His parents would not have been able to send him to college if there had not been these free, government provided, facilities. Starmer was the only member of his family ever to go to university.
The conservative government revoked grants for living expenses on 1 August 2016, replacing them with loans which would need to be repaid. This resulted in fewer talented students being able to go to university. Many left the UK after graduation, unable to repay their loan debt. Australia was often their chosen destination.
The Key Take-Aways from the Video link given above.
He did much pro bono work, completely free of charge, when he was an up-and-coming barrister, defending criminals on death row in human rights cases abroad.
As Director of Public Prosecutions, he sought to fight for the victims against more powerful people. However, in the Jimmy Savile case he was unable to proceed because witnesses were afraid to come forward to give evidence.
Jimmy Savile
Savile had too many powerful contacts. He was knighted by the Queen and knew Prince Charles, as he then was. He positioned himself as a generous philanthropist. Because of his royal contacts, the government allowed him to have his own room at Stoke Manderville hospital, where he indulged in his sexual perversions.
Two of my nieces worked there as nurses. They told me that they knew they would not be believed by senior management if they exposed his activities. All they could do was to try to be with the patients whenever he visited them.
As the interview shows, Keir Starmer is essentially a shy man. Many believe he lacks the charisma to be a prime minister. History shows us that, for right or wrong, it’s only leaders who are charismatic who get things done when in government.
Churchill and Macmillan had it. Sir Alec Douglas Home did not.
Harold Wilson had it. His deputy, George Brown did not, and lost the election after Wilson resigned.
Blair had charisma and went on to serve for several terms. His successor, Gordon Brown, like his namesake George Brown, lost the election at the upcoming election.
Whatever your views are on Richi Sunak, he is a skilled orator at the dispatch box. Do you agree that he has the charisma that Starmer lacks?
