I completely agree.
I think the problem is that the public is so used to the loud blustering of people like Boris, that anyone who is quietly confident and reasonable may seem "uncharismatic". If you're not finger waving, making loud and ridiculous statements, and shouting everyone down with preposterous statement, then it's hard to make your mark.
Starmer did some real good in his time as DPP, and he is fiercely intelligent. He is razor sharp during debates, and nothing gets past him. He has principles and I think that he genuinely wants to do good. He's not just another power-hungry politician who's in it for the glory. I don't get that sense with him. For balance, I think ex-Tory Rory Stewart had the same energy. I don't agree with Rory Stewart on many policies, but I think he is a fundamentally decent human who failed in his bid as PM because he wasn't as loud and garish as Boris, despite being INFINITELY more qualified to be PM.
Back to Starmer, the difficulty is that he's trying too hard to appeal to everyone and in doing so comes across as a bit vapid. He's trying to unite a deeply divided party, and the left wing of the party would be very happy to get him out.
I would be extremely proud to have someone of his intellect as our PM. I do think he can be tough if needed, and I don't think anyone would ever get one over on him. He would be an excellent representative for the UK, and we wouldn't have other countries laughing at us as was the case with Boris.
Some of Starmer's policies though are problematic. It might not be a priority for all, but there are many women - including myself - who are deeply concerned about the impact of losing our protection under law to single sex spaces. Women have already been raped and sexually assaulted by male-bodied individuals in spaces that were SUPPOSED to be single sex - eg/hospitals, prisons, and toilets.
At the moment, trans rights are directly conflicting with women's rights in some areas, and women are being expected to shuffle to the side (as always) to accommodate male-bodied individuals. Women do not have penises. Trans women can have penises. It's not hate speech to differentiate. There are many, many women who would be fully supportive of helping to develop inclusive policies for trans people that didn't simply amount to "tough luck women, if some of you end up hurt, we don't really care."
Unfortunately, Starmer and Labour have been sticking their fingers in their ears and trying to ignore the issue by pursuing self-ID but now they're trying to subtly backtrack. Unfortunately there are many women who have lost faith in Labour because of their anti-women policies, and won't vote for Starmer - no matter what a decent guy he is in other ways.
But if Labour won't stand up for women's rights, who will? Certainly not the Lib Dems or the Greens - both of those parties have indicated that they will also allow male-bodied individuals into women's spaces if they demand access.
The Tories are saying all the right things - but they're the Tories, and a vote for them is hugely unpalatable for left-leaning voters like myself. So who the hell is left??? Why is it such a HUGE fucking ask to find a party that's willing to consider the issues that women are concerned about?!