Keir Starmer needs to realise the very real perils of a long goodbye
The UK needs a strong, confident leader, not one constantly having to deal with party rebels
In July 2022, an embattled Boris Johnson was metaphorically clinging to his Downing Street desk, even as ministers resigned all about and he struggled to find replacements. In July 2024, the then US President Joe Biden was resisting pressure from all sides to drop out of the US presidential election and when he finally did, his deputy Kamala Harris had only a few months to make her case. Power can be difficult to relinquish.
In a speech with his many doubters in mind, Keir Starmer said he was “not going to shy away from the fact that I have to prove them wrong – and I will”. This was, he said, “a battle for the soul of our nation” and if Labour failed, the UK faced “a very dark path” ahead. On this latter point, he may well be right. However, it’s yet another reason why he must go.
The performance of the economy is lacklustre but it might not take too much to shift policy levers in the right direction and get things moving again. The trouble for Starmer is that he is now too closely associated with the negativity of the last two years. A fresh start under a new leader would help create the more optimistic mood the country needs.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer comes out fighting as he promises radical change – but gives too little detail
Unpopular and unlucky
According to a UK poll published this month by Opinium, Starmer has a net approval rating of minus 44, behind Nigel Farage on minus 17, and Kemi Badenoch on minus 4. Support for Labour was at 19 per cent, compared to Reform on 27 and the Conservatives on 18. Dozens of Labour MPs have publicly called for him to go, and the number is only likely to grow.
Starmer may have been unlucky but he has also been the author of many of his own misfortunes. He is clearly still in Johnson/Biden denial mode but the perils of an overly long, contested goodbye should be obvious. If the current situation continues into 2027, his replacement would be left with little time to make the changes that might win over the public.
The UK needs a strong, confident leader, not one who cannot even unite his own party.
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