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?

I agree he seems a decent man doing a very difficult job. I like that he isn't charismatic. Charisma is vastly overrated in politics.

I haven’t really seen any sensible explanation from anyone who despises him. But then most of them are hiding behind Union Jack profile pictures, clown emojis and the hilarious misspelling of ‘liebour’.

Apart from here on here I don’t have any social media

although I do read the papers online
I don’t have X ticktock insta Facebook so im
not influenced by them like a lot of people probably are

I’m perfectly capable of making up my own mind

That's great.

It doesn't change the fact that a lot of people are influenced though.

If you watch the Dominic Cummings video he spells out in great detail how it is done.

I find him a bit disappointing but he’s a decent guy and in it for the right reasons

a million times better than Boris or (shudder) Liz Truss. Also Sunak.

Unemployment has grown particularly amongst young people, I mean ffs he's all about supporting investment in AI which is replacing tens if not hundreds of thousands of jobs and those that aren't replaced by AI are being outsourced offshore, young people are screwed over Uni fees or face having to work for nothing or nearly nothing to try and get a foot in the door, or if they are one of the few super lucky ones an apprenticeship.

The cost of living continues to increase, fuel and water bills will shoot up next year, food has already shot up in price but Labour have done nothing to support UK famers. Yes train drivers have stopped striking now (Labour supporters like to dig that out) but they have managed to end up where they are getting paid more than doctors, who also aren't very happy about their pay deal and will probably strike again.

Higher tax burdens for working people but not for the super rich, the ill thought out policy on cutting winter fuel allowance for pensioners, the scary proposed reforms on SEND support, the extra teachers whilst not actually addressing the fact that thousands of teachers leave the profession every year, the extra police only the gov is only funding 50% of the course of the extra policing.

Cutting child poverty - will believe it when i see it, the last time the gap between the rich and the poor lessened was under John Major which was a while ago.
Thousands of children displaced from their schools because Keir (who benefited personally from a subsided private school education) decided that the UK should be the only country in Europe to tax private education - which incidentally he couldn't have done had we remained part of the EU.

Businesses hit hard by NI increase, min wage increase and business rates increase - all whilst Keir is leader, that I think is why older people are looking to Reform and younger people looking to the Green party.

Anyway he'll be gone after the May elections, hopefully the next leader will be better.

Agreed. Far more reason to hate most of the (many) recent prime ministers.

You make some good points and I agree with most. Who do you think would do a better job? Many of these issues are many years in the making but Labour should have done better far

Absolutely! Weve had years of crooks, mat be facing Reform one day, & people moan about KS? He's really good internationally, UK business is doing well, crime is down- he's at least doing some things right! Yer people seem to hate him as a person? Well, I don't want a 'personality' I want a steady leader.

Those are quite some claims - any evidence for them? For example, what are the higher burdens on working people? Income tax, NI and VAT haven’t changed since the Tories left office. The poverty gap deepened under the last government.

Relative child poverty stands at 30% (4.3 million children). Under Labour governments from 1997–98 to 2010–11, during which there was a policy focus on reducing child poverty, the relative poverty rate for children decreased from 33% (4.2 million children) to 27% (3.6 million children). Half of that decline was reversed from 2010–11 to 2022–23.^

Now my understanding is that Major wasn’t in government from 1997 to 2010.

My Mum is utterly visceral about her hate for him and I really don’t get it. He’s not brilliant but no worse than the last 8-10 we’ve had. I find it utterly bizarre. Too much GB News I think!

In the last couple of days of Gordon Brown being Prime Minster I remember seeing on the news a little girl asking him 'why is it so hard' - her mum got up at 3am to work as a cleaner and was struggling to make ends meet and that was after 13 years of a Labour government.

My Grandfather was born in 1925, worked in a steel works blast furnace and a life long Labour supporter but even he would say that they (politicians) are all in for themselves.

The quality of living for poorer people seems to be better in Northern European countries, better health care, better education - I suppose any party who thinks along those lines would get my vote. But in terms of the Labour party I think Yvette Cooper would be a better Prime Minister.

Income tax bands remain frozen despite inflation - hence in real terms working people are paying more income tax than before. Groceries certainly cost a lot more now than two years ago, so yes cost of living has increased since Labour came to power.

And in my post I clearly said that it was the gap between the rich and the poor that shrunk the most in recent times under Major's Government, I did not say that Child Poverty reduced the most, I haven't looked at those figures but I suspect its not looking promising for the current Government.

I'm not a Reform fan but I can see how they are appealing even though its unlikely that they'll deliver.

Agreed. I bloody love your user name btw🤣🤣

He wasn’t there? What a bizzare comment to make!

Starmer needs to go. He is not for the working people.

Got rid of the two child benefit cap. Most people not on benefits can’t afford more than one or two children.

Got rid of winter fuel allowance - he doesn’t care about pensioners.

Increased tax

Increased tuition fees

🤮

Oh please post some more, this is one of the funniest things I have ever read on Mumsnet.

Which ones are not true?

Aw look at the PR people talking to each other. Seriously though no one hates Sir Kier unless you remember Jimmy Saville. Although he's a bit of a wet wipe with no clear agenda and given to an abundance of U turns

On what planet is UK business doing well?!

I don’t hate him, but I think he’s spineless and dishonest. He also has no vision and doesn’t appear to stand for anything.

He’s been excellent internationally. I think people forget that the tories effectively ignored the Europeans (our neighbours!) he led the idea of the coalition of the willing, manages trump admirably, visibly supports Ukraine.

Who hates him? Sometimes it’s just bots or the papers.

Tell that to the Iranians