To wonder what could Starmer do, to turn things around?

[B0xes]

He was elected on fewer votes than Corbyn with very lukewarm support, the Tories lost that election, Labour did not sweep in on a tide of public approval, they just benefitted from peoples anger at the Conservatives. Since then, Starmers approval rating has tanked. He seems to have gone from one ill judged move to the next and seems totally tone deaf in speeches. Can he turn it around? What would he need to do?

Me too. Anyone who thought they were voting for unicorns and rainbows was delusional.

My neighbour gets over £350 per week in housing benefits alone! That's over £18k just for housing! Those not eligible have to make £18k after tax just to be equal.

Growth was lower than expected. That part is missing

Compare the first half of 2024 to after the GE and that’s the problem for Starmer and co, created by them

Not sure. How many Labour/Lib Dem/Tory/Green MPs have criminal records? Are criminal records unique to Reform?

I think some avoid any not pro Labour stuff so any other media and economic insight feels ‘made up’

That would be extremely difficult, given that the vast majority of mainstream media is right leaning.

@kirbykirby Aside from questioning how you would even know what benefits your neighbour receives, there's no way they're getting £350pw unless they have children with disabilities. In which case, I would say the poor buggers have enough to be getting on with, don't you think?

Given some posts on mn I wouldn’t be surprised and how much posters filter to stick to pro Labour threads / media and posts

Much harder these days granted as they have little to go on and it’s easy picking for the press, but then some think mn made up the bond reaction so that’s pretty full on limitation

Have a look at the candidates they fielded. What a shower.

There are no pro Labour threads. Or if there are I have yet to find them. Plenty of government bashing ones though.

Haha

@BIossomtoes

"That would be extremely difficult, given that the vast majority of mainstream media is right leaning."

If that were the case then firstly why was the MSM so critical of the Conservative Party ahead of last year's election and secondly if you genuinely believe that the vast majority of the MSM is right leaning then what would you do about it?

And the other parties?

Mainstream media wasn’t nearly as critical of the last government before the election as it has been of this one since. What can you do about it? We have a free press.

For those calling for the resignation of Keir Starmer, who in the Labour Party would you want to replace him?

For all his inexperience and mistakes, I genuinely think he means well and is a long way better than any of the Labour alternatives.

Lastly with their current majority there is absolutely no way Labour would call an early election.

I agree, I don't think he's PM material, but I do think there is no one to take his place currently.

Agree. Even the Guardian btl now reads like the Daily Telegraph. Huge change.
There was a thread on Reddit the other day about the achievements of the government over the last 7 months and most were quite surprised by wha5 had been done. None of it is being covered in MSM. Most folk I know are sick of the constant bashing. Might not be massive supporters but the opinion is just let them get on with it.

By then the media had turned I agree with you. Plus a lot of this is Labour stuffing up and alienating people.

Public sector not as yet but we’re not all that sector

Plus wrong footing decisions and Starmer’s general ability to get public onside

Well off pensioners who have pensions way in excess of many working peoples salaries should pay NI. That's me by the way.

But that was also the case for the previous government as well. There were far more 'anti' threads than those in favour. That's the nature of the game they are playing. I suspect what some on the left can't handle/accept/understand is that now Labour are in power they are accountable, and so of course they are going to attract criticism. Particularly as only a third of the electorate voted from them, as much if not more of that third was an anti Tory vote as much as it was pro Labour, and they have had, of their own making, 6 months of own-goals.

For there to be pro Labour threads you need an actual Labour supporter to champion what they have done, and that means done and not just talked about in endless re-sets of pledeges, missions, milestones and foundations. Now, that's difficult in 6 months...but that's not the public's fault. They are just contrasting what the now government said and did when it was in opposition to what it is saying and doing now.

Whatever they do, they've got to get more money into the hands of 'normal' people. Voters will stand for less money for a short time, especially if they believe in the reasons why and can start to see the improvements. What they won't do is feel like they are being fleeced forever. People WANT to feel life life is getter better for them and their families. A future view that looks just as hard, or worse, is not going to win the next election.

Whoever is left in 5 years time (in any party), the tag line "things are going to be tough while we clean up the mess the last guys left" is not going to cut any sway with voters by then, I don't think. Life needs to feel more optimistic than that - or there really will be a polticial mess to follow.

I wish Starmer would be more honest about the absolute mess that is Brexit. Even now the full impact hasn’t been felt and that’s what’s holding growth back.

There's always the Starmeristas chat threads BIossomToes.

But broadly, I agree that there are now as many anti-government threads as there were before the election. Only the Government has changed. And yes, I also agree that expecting a complete turnaround in six months is extremely unrealistic. Not helped by the failures of Louise Haigh and Tulip Siddiq, or a fairly punitive budget. However, trying to tip toe around the promise not to increase any of the 'big' taxes was a hiding to hell. They should have increased the basic rate of income tax across the board.

https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/politics/the-first-6-months-what-has-labour-actually-done/
This is interesting but how many will read it.

They were forced in to a corner not to raise taxes I suspect because of the press and the undoubted attacks on their financial acumen. Maybe that says more about Starmer’s leadership skills, who knows ?