My listeners prove it: this is the most unpopular Government ever

Telegraph

10 hours ago

I am sure there have been more unhappy political anniversaries in recent years. But for the life of me I can't think of one as joyless as this. As Keir Starmer prepares for the commemoration of his election win one year ago he must be wondering where it all went wrong.
After 14 years of the Tories the electorate were ready to try something else. No more infighting, no more personality politics, no more indecision. It was time for change and the country was ready. But the loveless landslide, for that is what it was, has proved to be much less than it was cracked up to be.
As a triumphant Starmer spoke on July 5 last year on the steps of Downing Street he was filled with a new hope, an obvious zeal and a determination to bring change to Britain. He announced with his customary stiff upper lip that there was much work to be done 'and that work begins now'.
Just 363 days later Starmer was humiliated in Parliament as his severely watered down Welfare Bill limped through thanks to a rebellion in the ranks. Concessions to rebels were being made by the Prime Minister right up to the wire but he still managed to suffer his biggest humiliation yet – 49 individual Labour MPs who marked their card against him.
Back in July 2024 the country might not have been thrilled with the idea of a Labour government. But there was a hope that at least it might just have been different. Anything but the Tories was the message. A full twelve months later Two-tier Keir has brought Britain misery, pessimism and disappointment – and that's just to his own side.
For the rest of us it has been a litany of scandal, policy u-turns, failed appointments and mis-steps on the public stage. Listeners and viewers at Talk had had enough of the Conservatives by the time Rishi Sunak called the election. Many of them had already defected to Reform feeling that neither of the main parties served them honestly or well.
Few expected the new shiny Labour Party to provide any surprises. But thousands of them now get in touch every week telling me how they believe this to be the worst government ever in their lifetimes.
The truth is that Starmer has never really looked the part. His awkward manner, stilted speech and lack of spontaneity quickly indicated this would be a wooden administration – unlikely to inspire. But I think what has really shocked my viewers and listeners has been the complete incompetence that has been on show since day one. And the lies. Always the lies.
First it was the Lord Ali scandal. The Prime Minister who promised a government of service was no different after all. In fact his hypocrisy possibly made him worse than his predecessors, with free suits, dresses and glasses for him and his family, plus a free penthouse in Covent Garden, free trips to New York for Angela Rayner and more free tickets to concerts and sports events than you could shake a hockey stick at.
Then there came the exposure at the heart of individual Cabinet members' personal stories. There was Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the funny CV, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds who never was the solicitor he had claimed to be for a decade. Transport Minister Louise Haigh had to step down after it was revealed she had a criminal conviction for fraud.
His friend Tulip Siddiq had to go when Bangladeshi authorities named her in a multi-million pound corruption probe into her aunt, the former leader of the country.
That was before they took the winter fuel allowance off pensioners, threatened farmers with extinction over the inheritance tax and poo-pooed the need for a national enquiry into the grooming gangs.
Now that his flagship Welfare Bill has passed without any of its initial savings, without any of its proposed reforms and without any of its aims intact, Starmer has universally lost the argument, lost authority and lost the goodwill of his party.
The first year of this Starmer government has been about as disastrous as it could have been. No one could have predicted it. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is holed below the waterline and cannot possibly survive given that none of the £5 billion projected savings will come to pass. It will be almost impossible for her to avoid breaking her own fiscal rules In the next few weeks.
In Downing Street tonight there will be panic setting in. Starmer's advisors will be wondering how they can rescue the next year of government. But many of them won't survive.
If I was a betting man, I'd wager that Starmer won't survive either.