To think Keir Starmer is toast as soon as the state visit is over

With a very unpopular Tory government they had a golden opportunity to get in on a tax and spend manifesto, but they totally blew it

I agree. But there's still time to find some backbone and change direction.

Don't forget Labour have only had one year in power. They have some catching up to do.

What a miserable farce. That our current political figures are not judged on their own dismal behaviour, but on the fact that it may have been less worse than someone elses.

Maybe we can compare our current crop of politicians to Ivan the Terrible or Genghis Khan. Maybe they aren't that bad after all !

I don't think there is any.

I think they just need to pony up and say that what they said in order to get elected was wrong and that they need to significantly raise taxes. That will finish them for the next election though. Basically because it is tantamount to admitting they lied to get into power.

Or of course they could drastically cut spending. Which would probably be exactly what the Tories would do.

Either way, they are offering little difference to the Tories in terms of management of the economy. Or anything else for that matter. Failed economic policy, failed immigration policy and scandal after scandal. They are just the Tories in different suits at the moment.

Poor behaviour by two prominent people.

As opposed to how many Conservatives?

This is what Richard Burgon was saying yesterday (ref your last two paragraphs). And he is a Labour MP. So really what hope is there?

What would you call what's happened recently then with losing two prominent people ?

I’m interested to hear about this murky past, too.

Agree

I'm not Kier Starmer cheerleader but never thought of him having a murky past... please enlighten me.

Accusing this government of sleaze after various, increasingly dodgy incarnations of a Conservative government for 14 years, with all they entailed, is tongue in cheek, surely?

They basically lied about taxes to get elected though.

Apparently we were not going to get any tax increases and get wonderful services and it was all going to be funded by economic growth.

Unfortunately there hasn't been any growth, we can't borrow any more money. We're starting to get in danger of breaching the "immovable" fiscal rules they have set themselves (if they do breach them it will send bond markets into a tailspin) and they are desperately trying to spin the promises about raising tax into something else so they can actually do it while claiming they aren't actually breaking any promises.

They are pretty much finished, one year after taking power. And that is without talking about the sleaze and scandals.

With a very unpopular Tory government they had a golden opportunity to get in on a tax and spend manifesto, but they totally blew it.

This.

Murky? Do tell!

In politics the knives are always out!!!! We have a predominantly right wing press in the UK, so that will focus on coverage of all things gloomy to do with Labour. I'm no fan of Keir Starmer or Labour but I think the speculation about him being thrown out is exactly that and doesn't really mean anything, other than click bait headlines.

I’m clearly ignorant and genuinely confused but what brings all this speculation and attacks towards KS?

What has he done that is deserving of all that?

We’ve had clowns like BJ and Truss and there was nothing like what we have now…?

Murky past? What are you on about?

I doubt it unless Mandleson really does a job on him...It would be bloody brilliant if he did. Starmer is a waste of time with a past so murky I am sure people would struggle to quite believe the man he really is.
I think he is not fit to be pretending to lead this country. He is clueless and dangerous.

As far as I know the only way to get rid of a Labour PM is a vote of no confidence which would also bring down the government and all those Labour MPs know that would mean they were out of a job. They may be unhappy with things but they are not going to do that. They could try to pressure him to resign, but then if they were successful there would be a huge upheaval where the Labour Party selects a leader under their rules.

I mean, yes, it's a political party. Lots of egos. The Greens and Lib Dems and Reform will all have jostling too. But leadership challenges are much rarer in Labour, because of the difference the rules on how these things are decided. People can jostle all they want, but it's a much longer process which prevents the chaos of the May/Johnson/Truss/Sunak years and we're not going to see the same revolving door of leaders from Labour.

Your answer to everything is put up taxes but you haven’t even considered the fiscal implications of that. So uneducated on the subject

The insult is telling.

@IvyTwines I’m in total agreement about lack of talent in MPs. There aren’t any leaders!

Burnham has no seat. Trying to get one might be problematic. A Labour mp is suspended and could be pushed. But - would Burnham win this seat? Or would Reform? Burnham has not bought into this Government and has an easy ride, politically, in Manchester. He’s referred to as the King of the North. Labour MPs need to think very carefully about looking like Conservatives. Unfortunately too many of them have not understood the vote for change at the last election. There’s no change. Infighting, non payment of tax, appointing a sleaze ball in the USA, voting against the government and now wanting a new leader. Politicians are not lawmakers - they feel like rabble.

He’s stumbling from one disaster until the next. I’m guessing that there are many within the Labour Party who want him gone but it’s anyone’s guess if it will happen.

True and it can cause pretty big issues for Starmer.

Pay more tax? For what? The services are dire and non existent. We need to bloody fire up the economy, loosen the bureaucracy around business - we need productivity and people to bloody work!!! Our borrowing is going through the roof.

We need a competent government.

Your answer to everything is put up taxes but you haven’t even considered the fiscal implications of that. So uneducated on the subject.

The intent is still there though. You said Labour weren’t like the Tories, jostling for the leadership. I beg to differ. Just because the rule book is different doesn’t mean to say the knives aren’t out.