Why are Labour MPs so out of touch with what the public want?

[greypinkspoon]

I voted Labour and haven’t been overly impressed with him. But I also can’t think of anything worse than changing leader right now and see how this uncertainty is affecting markets. Why can’t these Labour MPs see the harm they are creating? What is it they actually want? Because I don’t think these Labour MPs have a clue. They are just scared to lose their jobs!

What do the public want that labour don't see ? That is, what are they out of touch with ?

If that had one simple answer, then it should be easy. But I don't think there is a single simple answer ?

Their pathetic infighting really annoys me and they are becoming just like the Tories before them. They need to realise that most people don’t care about their political games but they do care that they can’t get a doctor’s appointment, their children’s school can’t recruit any teachers, rising cost of living etc. they need to get a grip otherwise Reform are going to get in then things wil get even worse.

The trouble is, they inherited so much crap they cannot suddenly sort all the problems overnight. I think they are working in the right direction without all the scaremongering and blaming everything on the boats. They need better PR.

The Labour MP’s are seeing that, to the public, Keir Starmer is unelectable. Why they think that is probably complicated. After being out of office for the last 14 years I imagine they’d like to have more than a 5 year shot at it, and bring in someone more electable. Do you think that Keir Starmer is able to win the next General Election?

What do the public want? Well that right there is the problem. The public seem to have moved to the extremes of both right and left.

On the one hand people want all immigration stopped, wide-scale deportations, to brick up the channel tunnel and for the UK to start burning oil and coal like there is no tomorrow.

On the other side people want closer ties with our neighbours, more immigration, a softer approach to foreigners and less oil and coal being used.

Labour are a party somewhere in the centre. They are not at either extreme but are pretending to be to try and appease as many people as possible. This is alienating many within the party because they want it to move to one extreme or the other but it can't without alienating half their core voters.

They are making him more unelectable by all of the infighting.

Starmer is very unpopular but tbh, any leader from any party would be unpopular right now because the country is in such a mess. And that mess most certainly isn't all of Starmer's making, even if he has helped to contribute to it.

They need to stop the political infighting, unite as a party and focus relentlessly on delivery for the country. People will start to feel more positive towards Labour if and when they perceive that life is getting better for them - a new leader is not going to make the difference.

Starmer seems to lack vision, so he needs to bring together other talents from across the party to help him find that vision. It doesn't necessarily have to come from him, but as a government, they do need a clear and radical plan.

They also need to tell a much better story about what they're doing. Starmer himself might not be the best person to tell that story, but I don't think that matters if they get the wider comms right.

We don't need a revolving door of PMs right now. If they elect a new leader, the infighting will all just start again in any case, and the new leader will still face all of the challenges that have faced Starmer.

They don't need to change leader. They need to do a better job of running the country.

Because they are not there to deliver 'what the public want'.

The next UK General Election isn't for another 3+ years. Could Starmer win it? Depends what he does in the next three years, among a lot of other factors. Or it should. If we can genuinely say now that "no, he can't win, no matter what", then that's a more of a negative comment on UK voters than on Starmer. But that should not be the biggest concern TODAY. Labour was voted in to run the country for the next five years (since repealing the Fixed Term Parliaments Act in 2022 basically made interim elections completely avoidable). There's a lot of things that take priority, or should, over campaigning for 2029. Curbing the worst abuses of the media could be one of them.

But these Labour back benchers are destroying the economy! Right now bond yields and the markets are going insane. Are they fucking thick? What absolute cunts! And I voted for Labour! They are so self serving and to be honest I don’t think I have ever been so angry in my life (and I fucking hated the Tory party) how dare they fuck around with the economy like this!

All of them except Andy Burnham are far worse options than Starmer and they will destroy labour completely if they carry on with this shite. Can’t stand career politicians pissing about when the country is on its knees.

pathetic Interview with an ex Labour MP on LBC yesterday. Whinging that Starmer had to go and it wasn’t fair that her colleagues were going to lose their jobs - luckily the presenter held her to account and said with all due respect this is about running the country not about your friends losing their jobs! Irony is their pathetic behaviour means they have decimated their party probably worse than the Tories. Slow clap for them and for myself for voting this bunch of clowns in.

I don’t think what most people want is any different to what they have always wanted?

It’s not complicated at all:

Safe neighbourhoods, decent affordable housing, secure jobs with a future, schools that are safe and productive with a sensible curriculum.
Training and opportunities for young adults.
A functioning health service.
A fair and efficient justice system.
Possibilities for real entrepreneurship that creates growth.
Protected green spaces, and better energy solutions.
Real public transport that you can afford and rely on other than just in London.
Clean rivers and seas and proper consequences for the Water companies.
A safety net for the poor and those who cant work but real practical help for those that could.

Most people just want to be able to get a job, to be able to live without fear, to have realistic aspirations for upward mobility and some hope for their kids.
I don’t know how to achieve all that, but I’m not in parliament.

That is a very specific complaint you have. I would argue that labour backbenchers should not really be expected to be tied up with serving a capitalist system. They are labour after all.

They live in a capitalist society, of course they should be expected to serve the system they live in.

@RedTagAlanI would expect that every single backbencher to be intelligent enough and to look at the demographic that voted for them. Not all of them were staunch Labour voters - many thought they’d be a better option than the Tory party. Which means they’re centre Left! For them to be so thick to think we’re all pissed off because we want them to be even more left leaning then they don’t have a brain cell between them!

@IfNot yes!

Should labour not be trying to change the system ? You know, for the proletariat rather than the capitalist baking system.

I agree OP. And I'm suspicious of the authenticity of all these constant "KS must go" posts on here.

If you join a party, you should accept that you support the leader of that party, through (almost) thick and thin. You don't have to agree with everything they say, but you don't go around constantly backstabbing and belittling and plotting for 5 years, rather than doing your actual job. Votes of no confidence should be exceptional, last resorts, not threats of coercion.

Is KS a great PM? No. Has he not helped himself by all of the constant back and forthing on policy changes, and trying to be all things to all people? Absolutely not. But, equally, is less than 2 years enough time to completely change everything around and do everything Labour promised, particularly with all the additional issues surrounding Trump/Iran and everything else that could not have been expected - no! Would any other of the sorry leadership prospects do any better? No way! Give the guy a chance and start making your bids in 2 years if you're still dissatisfied.

I don't even vote Labour but once they got in I accepted this was the prime minister, and party in power, for better for worse, for the next 5 years, I don't see why Labour themselves can't do the same thing!

Er nope, if they want to be socialists then they need to move to a socialist country not change the UK without a mandate to do so.

Why on Earth would anyone want MORE immigration? aren't the numbers we have enough? Is this about us not having enough babies?

But this is the labour Party.

And which is they they are so hopeless at economics.

Because we have an aging population which we need to pay for. Growing the economy requires more people of working age to generate the money required to do so.

Is there evidence that these new people are generating money?

People who work or run businesses add value to the economy and generate wealth. Yes that's how an economy works.