Starmer’s Speech Woefully Inadequate?

[RedRock41]

Thoughts on Starmer’s speech?

Own view is that it was woefully inadequate. Talk of ‘dark forces’ and ‘dark paths’ is fear mongering unless he elaborates. Talk of getting a better deal just don’t trust. Milliband in charge of energy given his fervour for renewables will only increase bills. Closer ties with Europe ignores the message sent by voters on what they want.

End of day nothing but talk, yet working families taxed higher than at any time since 2nd World War, on his watch. Those with broadest shoulders are not bearing the brunt. Anti-business taxation only kills growth further. The economy has never recovered post 2008 crash and for one I have zero faith in Starmer or his colleagues (or main stream parties) to fix it.

He talks of every young person achieving their potential yet only have to look at Student Loan debt in England to see education open to all in the same way as the Ritz Hotel. Middle earning renters are between rock & hard place. Fiscal drag on personal allowances and wage growth mean we are all worse off and working for less.

Tired of politicians who don’t know what it is to work and struggle to make ends meet, giving their platitudes… tell us exactly what you are going to do when and stop treating the electorate like children, but not sure if that’s just me.

He's unpopular because of high taxes and high immigration.

And he didn't say anything that will change either.

He'll be gone very soon.

Are you a Reform voter?

No. Voted for our local Independent as never been more politically adrift.

Right! I’m sure that vote helped to run your local council but well done for making your protest!

You ok?

Honestly, I'm so sick of hearing that Starmer is doing a bad job, when objectively, I really don't think he is. Especially compared to Boris (who literally killed 0000s of people) and Truss who made everybody else skint!

The problem is that the media keep SAYING he's doing a bad job. Say it often enough and you start to believe it, even if it's not necessarly the truth. Just look at how the 'stop the boats' mantra became such a big issue for weeks on end, but as soon as the media shut up about it, people stopped being so worried.

Let's look at a few things.

The NHS

FullFact gives a promising look at whether NHS waiting lists are starting to fall - https://fullfact.org/health/nhs-waiting-lists-pre-election-briefing/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21308637812&gbraid=0AAAAADRxhmeNoQMRJl75EqsZSEab7m8su&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_IXQBhCkARIsADqELbITpJFLN5oVje8QvkCv9jBKrR4KFcaLdYqlbGLWJNTVIpIO6yKsaUQaAs2BEALw_wcB

Google's AI overview gives a good insight here as well - this is what it says verbatim (and yes I know AI can hallucinate but this looks pretty solid)

"Yes, according to data from early 2026, NHS waiting lists in England have fallen since the Labour government took office in July 2024, reaching their lowest level in nearly three years. NHS England +2
Here is a breakdown of the current situation as of early 2026:
Overall Reduction: The waiting list for consultant-led elective care has fallen by over 370,000 cases since June 2024, dropping from 7.62 million to approximately 7.25 million by early 2026.
Progress: November 2025 saw one of the largest monthly drops in 15 years.
Waiting Times: The number of patients waiting over a year for treatment has decreased significantly.
Context: While the list is falling, it remains "stubbornly" above 7 million—far higher than pre-COVID levels. Some of this reduction is attributed to "validation" efforts (removing patients who no longer need care or have chosen other options) rather than solely increased operations

So there's some good signs of progress here. We know that there's going to be a lot of validation, but I've seen first hand my parents have both been quick to get treatment.

Immigration.

Here's Google's AI overview

Yes, net migration to the UK has fallen sharply under the Labour government, dropping to an estimated 204,000 in the year ending June 2025. This represents a decrease of nearly 69% compared to the 2023 peak, driven by reduced work and study visas, increased emigration, and continued policies from the previous administration.
Key Migration Trends (as of mid-2025/early 2026):
Significant Decline: Net migration dropped from over 900,000 in early 2023 to around 204,000-431,000 by 2025.
Visa Reductions: Skilled worker and health/care visa applications fell significantly (36%–51%) in 2025.
Driver of Decline:
The sharp fall is attributed to stricter visa rules introduced by the previous government and continued by Labour, alongside higher emigration of international students.
Government Focus: The government is focusing on cracking down on illegal working and has reported increased arrests and fines. Migration Observatory +3
While some reports suggest net migration could drop even further in 2026, the trend already shows a major decline compared to the peak in 2023

Again, Full Fact confirms that "Data for the year ending June 2025, broadly covering Labour’s first year in office, shows estimated net migration was 204,000, a decrease of nearly 69% compared to the previous year." https://fullfact.org/government-tracker/net-migration-fall-labour-government/

Money in your pocket

We know inflation is rising higher under labour, but we all have to admit a lot of that is down to Trumpflation and there have been six cuts in interest rates since the general election

I'm not pretending to be an economist. All I can say is that as a freelance copywriter, I'm now at full capacity and have raised my rates for the first time since May 2024. I am also coming to the end of a 5 year fix mortgage this year, and before Trump invaded Iran, the rates WERE coming down. It was looking like I could get a 3.6% deal - it was Trump's fault those rates have gone back up to 4.5-5%

Internationally

Let's be real here, we know he's done well internationally. Look how he's repeatedly calmed international tensions.We had the lowest tarriffs in the world, he wheels out Charles every time Trump throughs a tantrum. Kemi and the fag ash fuhrer would have both had us in an international war immediately.

I'm being realistic here. Of course he's fucked up over Mandelson, and the Winter Fuel Allowance and so many of these issues could have been avoided. But if you want to see some positives, they really are there.

I'm personally a swing voter. I just honestly think the UK will never flourish if we keep changing PM every two years. THat's not normal.

Who should people have voted for then?
As far as I can see no party is currently able to make the changes necessary without causing more polarisation.
I spoiled my vote because I literally can see no way forwards with any of the choices.
At the very least reform is promising g changes that may have positive impacts on the country, but alongside those come potentially very harmful effects.
Who in your opinion should we be voting for and why?

What’s with having a go over votes.

Op it was bad for the reasons you say, some more Labour MPs saying the same.

genuine question here @AFrogWhosGotAWetAndBoggySmell what are these changes that may have positive impacts on the country?

Because from what I can see, every single thing they've said is about removing rights from others, which can cause harm. Even if I fundamentally think Labuor are bashing small businesses by making it hard to employ anyone, I agree with why they've implemented those changes because it helps the employee.

But with Reform, when they say things like "from day one we'll get rid of the eqality act and then we'll find something else to replace it with" that means that you're getting rid of the right to maternity leave, you're making it impossible for legally mandates ramps for wheelchairs, for braille documents for blind people, you could be sacked for being gay..." none of those things can be justifiable surely?

Yes we had laws before the EA2010, but those laws no longer exist. We don't fall back to them.

I want my daughter to know she can have access to abortion in the future if she needed to. I want her to know that she won't be discriminated against because she's on the SEND register. I want her to know that the NHS will treat her if she's ill rather than being a US-system which is what Nigel wants.

None of these things seem positive?

Great post.

I know Starmer doesn’t have charisma. But his policy reversals demonstrate a willingness to listen and adapt. Internationally, there isn’t a party leader in the UK who could do better than him at preserving, and advancing, the country’s interests at this time. Diplomatically he’s achieved the near impossible task of both managing Trump and staying close to the EU.

@AFrogWhosGotAWetAndBoggySmellmaybe for the party councillor who offered the best portfolio of improvements locally rather than as a protest. It wasn’t a bloody GE and I’m not sure people understand that!

the thing is @Chocolatefreak I don't want a 'charismatic' leader. i want someone boring who just gets sit done"

I’m not anti Starmer at all.

But I do think that managing Trump and staying close to the EU is actually an easier combination now than in the past.

Because Trump is so awful I think it’s actually making Europe more in alignment as most countries including the UK can sympathise with each over having to manage him and that’s helping European alliances.

@Danhausenrocks What are your priorities that he's not achieving?

Labour's chaos continues.

Catherine West has said his speech was inadequate but she's decided not to stand against him, instead saying he must resign in September.

Makes absolutely no sense!

Respectfully don’t think any government post-2008 has made the lives of most ordinary families better. AI source responding to your prompts and as with any data/stat it’s not as simple as cherry picking.

Objectively state of play could also point out:

• Asylum claims in the UK have risen to record highs, and highest level since 2002. Not a key issue for me but you brought general net immigration into the mix.
• Progress on waiting lists is painfully slow, with some noting removing folk from waiting lists is how the tiny 200-300k reduction was achieved.

In contrast:

• UK tax revenue reached a record £938.8 billion in 2025-26, a 9.3% increase from the previous year, driven by high VAT, corporate tax, and national insurance receipts. The overall tax burden is at its highest level since the 1940s, hovering over 36% of GDP and projected to rise towards 37.7% by 2027–28.

For ordinary working families that means less £s for most with higher bills. Given the promise to make those with the broadest shoulders pay more and not to tax working people it’s hardly a stellar record.

Not to mention UK having some of highest energy bills in developed world, nearly 1m young people not in education or employment, 2.6m people not able to access care they need in England and under Starmer’s watch also, wealth gap has increased markedly.

Agree instability of leadership doesn’t help but we haven’t had stable leadership in this country for a long time and stand by the assertion that it’s ordinary people and small businesses paying the price. I’m old enough to remember earning half what I do now pre-2008 and having a better standard of living.

+North Sea sitting there if they really want to ease impact of global shocks.

She probably realised Burnham needs time or it’s Streeting.

Starmer managed to achieve a reduction in US tariffs on UK import duty on cars from 25 to 10%, also scrapped the import duty on steel and aluminium. These low tariffs weren't extended by the US to the EU.

honestly? I don't know.

I live in rural Suffolk. I personally couldn't give a hoot about immigration because I don't see it affecting me day to day. I absolutely see how that would be different in other parts of the country, and I'm not minimising it - it just doesn't enter my head.I only see the benefits - such as the doctors who treated my daughter in hospital.

All I want is to be able to continue running my business easily, to know that I can pay my mortgage and to know that locally our town is being uplifted and positive.

I care more about the potholes and the state of the A14 than anything else which is why I care more about local councils.

Ultimately, I'm just seriously fed up of hearing about politics all the damn time. Before anyone comes at me, I know it affects everything. I just mean I want to let them get on with it so I can think of other things. I'm fed up of every single decision being a direct contributor to a potential world bloody war.

And to respond to @RedRock41 I didn't use prompts. I literally googled "what is immigration under labour" and "what is NHS waiting times under labour". Simple as that. No cherry picking sources. Just a straight forward question.

Im 41. It seems that the best PM in my lifetime was gordon brown - everyone from Cameron onwards has been shit and Blair is a war criminal.

Yeah he’s done well with some things and I voted on the poll to give him more time.

I was just thinking that Trump’s abrasive personality is making it easier for European leaders to understand what they have in common rather than focus on previous areas of disagreement.

@Danhausenrocks agreed. Brown was one of best in my view also. Tax credits going was a mistake for starters. Good luck with your business and can relate to much of what you say.

Sorry yes I didn't actually mean to tag you!

Agree, immigration is not our biggest issue, there are far bigger existential threats - conflict (over resources) and climate change, both of which lead to immigration. Immigration itself is not the cause.

Politically, until people understand that western lifestyles are directly linked to conflict, they won't have any empathy for people trying to achieve not even comfort, but just economic survival.

This bit of your opening post, OP:

He talks of every young person achieving their potential yet only have to look at Student Loan debt in England to see education open to all in the same way as the Ritz Hotel. Middle earning renters are between rock & hard place. Fiscal drag on personal allowances and wage growth mean we are all worse off and working for less.

I think that’s very well expressed.

It’s also the reason why so many students and younger working and non-working adults voted Green. The Green vote upswing isn’t just to give Starmer and Labour a bloody nose - it’s to give the older generation(s) a bloody nose.

Younger women in particular are swinging Green because they are also pissed off that their much-shorter-than-men’s fertility windows in which to have children is being trashed by economics and others’ greed (as they see it).

The counter-intuitive ‘queers for Gaza’ element is their version of a counter-culture protest, dependent on social media amplification of the mood and desire to belong to something radical.

Zack is a bit of a cult leader.

I think my biggest frustration more than anything is theres no nuance anymore. It's "starmer is bad...farage is the only hope" even objectively everything points to the opposite.

I like being a swing voter, because I hate this new "team sports" mentality thats come from "lefty loonies" or the god awful "owning the libs" bullshit.

Honestly, there are policies that I disagree with, and some I agree with. The Lib Dems had a great plan for the NHS and social care, but some of their other policies aren't right. As a business owner, technically, Tories should be the ones I look at - but they were the ones who excluded me and 3 million others from support in Covid.

I swear to god, I'm coming to the conclusion that each party should outline specific policies, and you vote for the policy, not the party - the one that gets the most policy votes is the one that gets the job of running the country!

I think the allusion to 'dark forces' are those who mean to undermine our democratic system and institutions to benefit themselves ie Farage and his ilk.

If the US is taking a continually more unpredictable path, and berates the UK for not getting involved in their ever more pointless conflicts, isn't it sensible that we should detach from the US and align more closely with the EU for defence? Who else should we join forces with, Russia? China? Or do you think we can protect ourselves militarily?

In terms of long-term energy security, investing in renewables and diversifying is surely the way to go, also in terms of developing UK jobs and UK technology; not short-lived, expensive and polluting North Sea fossil fuels? Long-term the gains will be invaluable.

I agree with you on unfairly high tax rates for working families and the squeezed middle, it seems insane that the digital giants and corporations aren't held to account. As for billionaires leaving the country, the sooner we have global tax regulations that stops evasion and avoidance through tax havens, the better.