Why is Keir Starmer so disliked (before the Mandelson scandal?)

The grooming gangs in Yorkshire (we all speak as if there is only one, do you think?), has been going on for over 20 years.

I agree with this to a degree (although I am not a Tory or May supporter). She was handed / she chose to go for a poison chalice. She was always destined to fail. I honestly think Brexit has done such huge damage. I don’t remember government being quite so chaotic before then.

He makes your skin crawl because he lacks charisma? How do you feel about Trump?

I'd largely agree. However, although I didn't agree with a lot of what Theresa May did as Home Secretary, I really do think she had a sense of duty as PM.

His own party were determined to self destruct though. The problem for the Tories was Brexit and then the lunatics who were left in charge when Cameron pathetically walked away from his mess.

I think because he seems weak in the face of his backbenchers, craven in the face of public opinion and doesn’t project any clear vision or optimism. He’s naturally a senior civil servant not a politician.
I like Reeves though, and would have had huge respect for her if she had resigned when Starmer started flip flopping and bastardising her economic plan to try and keep backbenchers happy. Im not in favour of everything she tried to do but she is an intelligent and passionate person with vision and he chucked her under the bus.(Another reason I dislike him)
Had Reeves resigned she’d be a leadership candidate right now. Instead she’s blamed almost fully ( unlike Kwarteng in the last fiasco - funny that!)

The decision to appoint Mendlesen was Starmers ultimate decision - appointing a person with experience & blood on their hands - contaminates everyone in touch with the decision.

As PM you know are held to a higher standard of integrity and with his experience and skills as lawyer. Starmer should know better and have done better for the public -

seriously tired of upping taxes, making us all poorer, no direction (except ask for more taxes) backed on excuses and blaming everyone but themselves .. this decision sticks as much as it stinks 💩 . If Starmer were in opposition he would be calling for resignation… he needs to fall on the sword likewise chancellor of the purse !

He wasn't hounded out. He chose to call a general election.

It's it really relevant though, it's the profit margins that are important, what sells is entertainment.

He is judged by his words and actions.

Off the top of my head.
He said some women have a penis.
He told farmers they mattered and then introduced an inheritance tax on farms.
He said he wouldn’t raise taxes and then promptly raised taxes
He ignored the grooming gang victims.

He is a bad man doing bad things.

Intellectual arson by the media has lead a majority of people to engage with politics as if it is entertainment so their reactions to events are extreme- apathetic and Ostrich like or deeply cynical. I think Starmer is seemingly a victim of these times.

It seems to me that whoever comes along gets a kicking. I didn’t actually think that Rishi Sunak was that bad but he was hounded out before he had a chance. Every PM gets this treatment. I don’t really understand why we have the system we do. I don’t think it works any more.

"Of the eight national newspapers we asked about, five were seen to be predominantly right-wing, whilst two were seen as predominantly left-wing."

Three-quarters of national newspaper circulation is controlled by three major groups (Murdoch, Rothermere, and Barclay families), billionaires whose publications generally favour right-wing, pro-Conservative stances.

yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/17715-how-left-or-right-wing-are-uks-newspapers

I do think the advisers behind the screens - Macsweeny, the toxic Dominic Cummings and then Seumas Milne are also responsible for the demise of government. They have almost always been behind hideous mistakes and never get sacked.

Could the same not be said of other recent PMs though?

Not defending Starmer btw.

There have been mistakes but Labour have taken a kicking from day dot. The British media scrutinise Labour more than they ever did the Tories.

I also think the media now push for the chaotic news cycles that we witnessed during the last Tory government. They want people sacked / leader challenges and Labour MPs are stupid enough to give them fodder for it. It is tedious and I think the media play a large part in what feels like chaotic governance.

Social media doesn’t help - misinformation is rife and reform make the most of it. Whichever Labour person became PM had no chance. Brexit has completely fucked the country up - its campaign was horribly divisive and the country hasn’t ever recovered from that vote or its consequences .

Venal, self-serving, arrogant liar is excellent description of him.

Yes she’s pretty blunt on how he treats women in the Labour party and ride roughshod over anyone speaking up. She thinks he should go. Listening this morning I believe her.

His failure to stand up for Rosie Duffield. DESPICABLE cowardice

I am convinced it’s because a normal person and normal people can’t do the top job. As far as the British people and establishment are concerned, It needs to be an elite.

and even he- highly educated, successful and influential-is pushing the bar of normal person somewhat

Because a very large number of people are completely incapable of criticising someone’s actions or policies respectfully. They aren’t sufficiently emotionally mature, so do so by characterising someone with whom they disagree as scum, or evil, or the subject of
vitriolic hate. It’s pathetic.

I don’t agree with some stuff he’s done, I agree with other bits of it. It’s been disappointing overall but I don’t expect them to turn it around within the time they’ve had. He’s preferable to all the alternatives, I just wish he had more
vision and ooomph.

This opinion makes me laugh. Surely you realise there is just as much left wing media as there is right wing?

"I always find that on any thread about why Labour are liked/disliked, a crop of people will always immediately and angrily tell us that they are "better than the Tories".

For a bit of balance.
I really like that Labour have reintroduced Sure Start in the form of Best Start.
I like what they're doing on animal welfare - banning puppy farms, smuggling etc.
Increasing the minimum wage.
NHS waiting times are down.

Exactly..and no one has answered this yet!
There includes lots of personal character assaults here. Nobody said you had to actually like him. (Oh the entitlement!).
Consider where we are headed (Farage et al) and losing much, if not all of that entitlement. And no one can say they were not warned...

To the women who have fought so incredibly hard on our behalf. Fkin awesome. Thank God for you all but shouldn't the fight continue from inside? They are all becoming swayed by popular opinion, which is what politicians all do. Can we chose the non fascists and work on them instead of losing everything else that women have worked so hard for in the last 50 years in the process?

He's the leader of the Labour Party and those on the right are furious we have a Labour government so are making a LOT of noise about him.
Some Labour voters would prefer a leader with a stronger traditional left image.
Some people are frustrated because they wanted revolution speed change from a Labour government. Starmer's slow, steady (dull?) demeanor is seen as symbolic of the lack of speedy progress they hoped for.