Keir Starmer has had a volatile first 100 days in office. Far-right racist riots, escalation in the Middle East, and a dire financial situation has made it hard for the new Prime Minister to enjoy much of a ‘political honeymoon’. It’s easy to forget that he strolled into Downing Street with a landslide parliamentary majority just 3 months ago.
Last month, the Labour Party’s conference in Liverpool offered Starmer the opportunity to make his first important speech as PM. With the criticism that his government had been too gloomy in its messaging, many expected him to attempt to set out a more optimistic vision for his first year in power.
So, what did he say, and how have people responded to it?
‘A law for Liverpool. A law for the 97’
Starmer started off his speech by announcing a ‘Hillsborough law’ which he had promised on the same conference stage 2 years ago.
The law would place a ‘duty of candour’ – essentially a duty to be honest when things go wrong – on public authorities and public servants who would face criminal convictions if they fail to do so.
Starmer went on to say: ‘It’s also a law for the sub-postmasters in the Horizon scandal. The victims of infected blood. Windrush. Grenfell Tower.’
‘Country first, party second’
He spoke a lot about levelling with people about the “trade-offs this country faces”; attempting to establish a more honest, serious form of governance, in comparison to the chaos of previous Conservatives governments.
A key part of his promise to the country was to ‘build’: more homes, more prisons, more infrastructure. To do that, he was always going to have to accept annoying some people. Whether it’s due to concerns regarding house price depletion, increased traffic, or a changed natural environment, there will always be NIMBYs who oppose development in their area.
Starmer, however, made the somewhat uncharacteristically brave case that people had to accept these trade-offs: ‘If we want cheaper electricity, we need new pylons overground’.
Making a similar case for the building of new homes and prisons, he attempted to express his willingness to prioritise the national interest over the concerns of a small few.
In speaking on these trade-offs, he is much talking to his own party as he is to the wider country. He spoke about the need to “stop benefit fraud” if there is to be a strong welfare state. He also advocated for Labour’s future as the party of wealth creation, “unashamed to partner with the private sector”. These are things that the Labour party aren’t necessarily the most comfortable with.
‘Return of the sausages… hostages.’
This will unfortunately be the part of the speech that reached the most people. Starmer mixing his words when advocating for the return of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Later in the day, after speaking to the UN General Assembly in New York, he made light of the gaffe saying to reporters that “these things are there to give you an opportunity to rib me.”
Speaking on the conflicts in the Middle East, he urged de-escalation along the Lebanese-Israeli border and reiterated his call for a ceasefire and a two-state solution.
He also pledged his continued political, financial and military support for Ukraine as it continues to fight Russia.
So, how was it received?
Amidst rows over donations and Winter Fuel Allowance cuts, the brief moment of goodwill that Starmer’s government received post-election has already began to fade. It’s likely that his optimistic speech has had little-to-no effect in changing his lacklustre performance in the polls.
An Opinium poll taken in September found that since becoming Prime Minister, Starmer’s net personal favourability rating has dropped by around 45% to -26%. This brands him even more unpopular than the previous Tory PM, Rishi Sunak, who sits at -25%. But, it’s entirely possible that these numbers can be dismissed as teething problems for the new government.
Starmer hit the ground running after becoming PM on July 5. Within weeks, his government introduced key legislation to deliver on campaign promises to expand public ownership of failing privatized infrastructure and improve housing standards: the Great British Energy Bill, the Passenger Railway Services (Public Ownership) Bill, and the Renters Rights Bill.
Starmer’s General Election win was deemed a ‘loveless landslide’ by many. However, after 14 years of Tory chaos, a government that is honest about the work that needs to be done may be just what the country needs.
As promised in his first conference speech, only time will tell if Starmer can deliver a renewed Britain.
