To not get the visceral levels of hatred people have for Keir Starmer

[LastChristmasigaveyousomesocks]

I’m not suggesting he’s the greatest prime minister ever. I’m not even suggesting he’s good at all. But some people really, really passionately hate him.

He is a bit insipid and doesn’t have much charisma but overall he seems like a decent enough bloke who perhaps lacks the political skill and acumen he needs. He’s out of his depth basically.

But that’s not a reason to actually despise someone is it?

When did we get to a point where we can’t just disagree without painting the other person as the devil incarnate?

Same Op. I understand being pissed off with him or feeing let down (I am both of these things, and yes, I did vote Labour) but I don’t get the abject hatred. He’s not really a person or prime minister who’s interesting enough to hate, bitchy as that sounds.

That said, I hate Boris Johnson. He’s a revolting human being for many reasons imo.

I don't get either. As everyone else has said, he is very low key in terms of who he is and what he has achieved. I think everyone knows he was dealt a terrible hand as PM - the markets keep him from doing much. But he's sensible and normal.

After the constant drama that was Boris Johnson. The short shit show that was .Liz Truss. The the internecine power struggle of the Sunak years and now the crazy stuff happening in US, you'd think everyone would be grateful for a bit of boring.

My suspicion is that it is political activists and people think they can sway opinion .

I like him.
It surprises me that people regularly say he's as bad as Trump.

Maybe if we were coming off a string of excellent PMs I'd feel differently. I don't think I've ever liked any of them.

I disliked him to begin with. So did DH. But we quite like KS now.

He’s utterly dead behind the eyes like a shark.
I despised him even before I knew he volunteered to work pro bono to go after Forces Veterans.

A large percentage of the population has allowed themselves to become brainwashed by the popular (right leaning) media. They just word for word parrot what they read on their socials / GB News. Its quite scary.

I think he is utterly useless as PM but I wouldn't say I hated him.

People who compare him to Trump in that way, honestly, I’m guessing aren’t very bright. Yes, by all means, dislike or even hate both of them, but Starmer is an angel next to that fucking monster.

I don't hate him, I'm just totally underwhelmed and disappointed in him. He isn't a leader.
I feel particularly disappointed in his decision to write a chapter in the disgraced lawyer's book calling for the ECHR to be used to investigate British Troops.

Rosie Duffield knows him better than anyone on this thread, probably. He’s a sexist misogynistic bully apparently. I know who I believe. He makes me feel sick when I see his face, worse when he speaks.

https://unherd.com/2023/01/the-labour-party-has-a-woman-problem/?us

A lot of people these days treat politics like it’s Big Brother or some other personality contest. You don’t have to want to go for a pint with a politician in order to vote for them.

I’m disappointed in the U turns but very glad to have a steady hand at the rudder internationally right now.

Lots of misinformation doesn’t help. Starmer had no involvement in the decision making on whether to prosecute Savile or not.

You do realise that government policy has an actual real life impact on some people and they are capable of forming a view based on that.

^
He is a bit insipid and doesn’t have much charisma but overall he seems like a decent enough bloke who perhaps lacks the political skill and acumen he needs. He’s out of his depth basically.^

Didn't seem to be out of his depth with that bloke in China who wants to rule the world.....

Wonder who's worried about their massive Chinese Embassy build in the middle of London, eh?

I have a friend from Taiwan.

Wouldn't trust the Chinese Government as far as I could throw them.

I am similarly bemused. He hasn’t been the passionate and principled human rights champion I had hoped he would be, and he has frustrated and disappointed me at times, but realistically he took on an absolute stinker of a poisoned chalice after Brexit and Covid and I think he’s broadly done a reasonable job. He’s pretty competent at wrangling Trump’s tantrums, he doesn’t humiliate us on the world stage, he hasn’t reintroduced Thatcherism or crashed the economy. I still consider him a decent and intelligent man, if a bit wet and stodgy. I don’t understand where the sheer visceral loathing is coming from at all. Compared to the assortment of clowns, scorpions and donkeys we’ve had in power for 14 years…there is no comparison.

I’ve just listened to Matt Forde’s podcast, Political Party where Keir Starmer was Monday’s surprise guest. Starmer was fantastic: funny, committed, serious, wearing aviators.

And Matt Forde is a national treasure.

Repulsive isn’t he. We’ve got a pm who seems to hate women and the uk 🇬🇧. But it’s ok, he’s helping increase the benefits bill.

Same

You’d think that the good British public would have learnt not to be fooled, after Boris “man of the people lovely bloke I’d like to have a pint with” Johnson..

And here we are, with a large portion of the country supporting Nigel “man of the people lovely bloke I’d like to have a pint with” Farage, alongside all the dregs of the TP that have joined him.

Will we ever learn

Agreed.

I agree. I find it odd that he’d inspire strong emotions in either direction. It’s like hating Tuesdays. Or March. Or beige. Who can muster up the interest.

Keir Starmer was not responsible for the decision not to prosecute Saville. That was the CPS. While I'm not particularly impressed by this government so far, politicians are human beings and the levels of vitriol they're subjected to are alarming. The far right are stirring it up and I fear it will lead to another politician being hurt or murdered

Oh, this is interesting
You didn't like him at first, but you do now

Can I ask what he's done? That makes you like him?

The problem is that so many other prime ministers had the habit of promising miracles, and the moon on a stick. Boris Johnson, Tony Bliar, and the wannabe PM Nigel Farage, and authoritarian despots like Trump tend to promise miracles - if you’re of the right race. And people believe them. Because Starmer promised nothing, people dislike him on this basis. But he and his team are not good at talking about what they have done.

Give me a dull and boring prime minister any day. In retrospect, John Major was misunderstood, and easily forgotten between the “iconic” Thatcher and Blair.