Time for a new PM and Chancellor?

[Whenwillitgetwarm]

I wrote this on another thread but feel it should have its own thread.

Although I voted Labour (the current Tory’s are too insane), I think it may be time to swap out Starmer and Reeves. If this is done early, there’s enough parliament time left to bed a new PM and Chancellor in.

They both lack ideas, seem confused, no vision etc. They had 14 years to think up workable plans. Coming in and throwing their hands up saying there’s no money so they can’t do anything is very poor. They want to continue austerity on the sly. They indulge in stupid culture wars like VAT to rob Peter to pay Paul (and Paul won’t see a penny anyway). They have bad advisors and are arrogant. It looks like they are just excited to have the job titles and don’t know what to do.

Get a top two who will come up with a bold plan. We’re in the gutter so there’s opportunities to deliver quick wins. They don’t always need funding, simple policy changes can make big and quick differences. If they gave each department a target to deliver one quick legislative win by Christmas, we’d start 2025 differently.

Unfortunately we’re stuck with two people who can’t believe their luck, and who are afraid of the Daily Mail, Murdoch, some loud Redwall types and bots on X who wish our country economic harm. They are weak.

If Labour were a football team, there would be fans screaming for Starmer to be sacked now.

This is not about getting rid of Labour. I believe there is talent in the wider party, much more than in the Conservatives who hollowed out their party under Johnson. Nevertheless I just don’t think Starmer and Reeves should have their roles.

Yep - I remember much more energy, charisma and a sense of competence with Blairs cabinet

No way. They weren't granted that privilege.

It was a daily occurrence before they got in. Maybe you didn’t notice as you were contributing but claiming Labour get more ‘bashing’ isn’t the case

I doubt Starmer and Reeves are going anywhere, unlike Gray, but they will get criticism

The only way you’ll avoid it is if you join a closed FB Labour site or similar

Exactly. Should we look back at other PMs and their first 3 months? We could start with Truss 😆

I just think it is very funny that we have daily new threads by 'labour voters' already pissed off..
I agree there were a lot of threads about the previous government, but we had evidence a plenty after 14 years of the nonsense they were getting up to.

Give this government a chance.

They’re not doing very well, people will talk about it. You can’t expect mn to be the only online commentary not to.

I think Truss would have loved to have lasted 3 months 😂

Blimey, so they didn't feel the need to give the electorate a sense of optimism. No thanking people for their vote and communicating a vision showing things were going to get better? Just a depressing message of a 22bn black hole and what a mess we're in message? Hardly inspiring is it.

How they're doing is a matter of opinion. I think they're doing quite well considering how little time they've had what with conference season and recess. There really hasn't been time for much implementation.

As for a honeymoon period - they haven't had one, because they haven't been allowed one. The attitudes of the press and the internet towards this new government have been downright ungracious. I don't mind people complaining about the general direction of travel, but a few caveats would have been reasonable. Instead we're getting a lot of foot stamping and 'I want it now'.

That’s an opinion. There was verifiable fact about the last lot. Actual court proceedings.
I think they’re doing fine. Lots achieved given they’ve barely been in the House yet. Being hounded about some totally legal gifts has created a bad atmosphere, but that’s not them ‘starting badly’.

The mean press is a bit silly, Labour really are mucking it up. It’s their own doing.

I know you feel they are doing well. But others don’t and the point to the pp is a public forum will show that. The ‘Labour bashing’ line on all these threads is a bit ridiculous but also just people wanting one view

That’s not going to happen given public sentiment

I'm sure there's a direct correlation between those people who have spent the last 8 years calling people remoaners and the people who are now whinging perpetually that the Labour party haven't worked wonders and shit miracles in 12 weeks.

Utterly ridiculous. The Tories changing leader every five minutes wasn't normal, or a healthy way to run a country.

Starmer is an experienced politician and will be a good PM. They don't have the media onside unfortunately - hence the rubbish about donations, when Johnson literally funded his life through other people paying for things.

What on earth are you talking about? Are you suggesting Labour should have given everyone some kind of bonus for voting them in? Yeah because that would have gone down so well and there was so much spare cash! Can you imagine the headlines? "22bn black hole and Labour are trying to bribe us?"

Yep, once again, far too many people going into politics who shouldn't. Somethings got to change, the two main parties are going to haemorrhage votes if this Labour Government can't do better than the Tories.

Whilst KS personal popularity has fallen - all the data on voting intention [were there to be a GE tomorrow] shows that Labour support is holding up and is basically unchanged since the election

Voters can be disappointed/discouraged/whatever and 'giving out' about it online but still support the LP government

Thing is, Labour can't win. If they'd started throwing out sweeteners and tax bribes, they would have been accused of spending money that wasn't there. Now that they are trying to be fiscally sensible, they're told they're a bunch of tightwad grinches. It's the same old same old.

This isn't 1997. The situation is completely different. It's incredibly shallow of people to want pretty lies.

Ditto.

You say they aren’t doing very well, what you really mean is that their PR is abysmal
They’ve not broken any laws as such, maybe the ‘spirit’ of the law by accepting freebies, not read the room right etc.
I suspect they don’t have people like Alistair Campbell or Peter Mandelson in the background spinning away and a media that’s complicit with them.
In the background thing have been going on (particularly re doctors strike etc) There’s also some big legislation coming through to improve workers rights. No doubt folk like @EasternStandard will be on here to tell us that it will drive business away if we make ordinary people’s working lives better.

Bonus? I think you misunderstood.
Where was the inspirational message? where was the optimism? where was the gratitude for people voting them in? People wanted change, we knew the Tories had made a mess of it, we don't need a constant reminder. We want to know its going to get better under Labour.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that "things will get worse before they get better".

He said things will get better. He also said that will come with a short term cost.

I don't want their gratitude. I want results and that will take time and effort.

it will drive business away

You’re already writing policy for them I see

But yes if you look outside mn pro Labour threads you’ll see plenty of criticism

As for spin sure they do, the toolmaker line worked well enough pre GE. For some on here even.

What optimism? What did they have to be optimistic about? They inherited a shit show. You're really not making sense. There have been some really helpful posts already about the good they've done so far. Maybe read those.

Or pretend the Tories would have performed magic by now.

Media - Rich bloody boomer pensioners
Labour - Cut winter fuel allowance
Media - Pensioners freezing, poor old dears.

Media - There's no money and Britain is falling into a pot hole
Labour - Tax the richest
Media - But that bloke from Pimlico Plumbing who doesn't like paying his way will leave.

Media - Doctors striking and people can't get treatment catastrophe
Labour - Settles doctors strike
Media - Not those doctors. Not that much.

Media - Train drivers striking and people can't get from A to B.
Labour - Settles driver strike
Media - Not those drivers. Not that much.

I want them to acknowledge people have voted for them, so have put their trust in them. Don't take those votes for granted.
I agree with PP, their PR machine needs to get better at communicating the positives. The government needs to move on from gifts and donations.