Criticising the Tories has become second nature to many people, following the endless list of mistakes they’ve made over the last 13 years. But the question remains will Labour make a difference?
Keir Starmer has continuously shown us his centrist tendencies and near enough hatred for the left and its policies. From u-turns to ditching Labour pledges, Starmer during his time as leader of the Labour Party has managed to lose support not only from the public but also party members. Research from YouGov stated, “Three years into Keir Starmer's time as Labour leader, only 22% of Britons, and 37% of Labour voters, say he has been a "great" or "good" leader.”
Most recently he faced backlash for his u-turn on the 2 child benefit cap. In 2017, the Tories introduced the 2 child benefit cap, which in layman's terms means that if you have more than 2 kids, the government will only help you financially with up to 2 of those children. A policy that not only vilifies people from lower socio-economic backgrounds but also exacerbates child poverty. When running for leader of the Labour Party in 2020, Keir Starmer pledged to scrap the cap and extend child benefits.
He even tweeted, “Too many people today are struggling to make ends meet, held back by jobs that don’t pay enough; a social security system that has subjected people to the most appalling indignity; and a public sector that is on its knees after a decade of cuts.”
Yet it seems as though now that he’s secured his place as leader of the opposition and deceived the working classes with a bunch of empty promises, it’s now time for him to turn his back. Last month, it was confirmed that Labour will be abandoning its plans to scrap the 2 child benefit cap.
This wasn’t the first U-turn in Starmer’s career. Abolishing tuition fees was a key Labour policy from 2017 through to 2019 and reinforced as a key pledge in Starmer’s manifesto in 2020. He promised to “end the national scandal of spiralling student debt”. However in May of this year, he stated that the country finds itself in “a different financial situation.” Referring to outside factors like COVID-19, and the Russian invasion etc, but as we’ve seen before the way money is spent is a political decision and we have more than enough money to stick with these pledges.
Momentum said Keir Starmer’s u-turn on free university tuition was a "betrayal of millions of young people,”
Amongst his constant u-turns, Starmer seems to find little time to live up to his role as leader of the opposition. His criticism of the Tories and their mishaps has been zero to none, nothing more than a mere slap on the hand. But then again what can be expected from a centrist leader?
Starmer has made it abundantly clear that he is a centrist through and through. Not only by abandoning Labour pledges but also by ousting several Labour MPs.
Unlike his predecessor, Jeremey Corbyn, who Starmer has repeatedly vilified, Starmer seems to have established a fruitful relationship with the right-wing press. From his close dealings with The Sun to being awarded ‘politician of the year’ by the Spectator, Starmer seems to have reinforced his position amongst the right-wing press, meanwhile, criticism amongst the left wing grows.
Keir Starmer may on paper be an alternative to the Tories, but in practice, it looks as though his policies and leadership style would not differ much from the hot mess we have now. Starmer’s plans for the country live up to a right-wing business-forward standard, much like that of the Tories. Sad really when you think about what a Labour government should represent.
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