In the 5 years from the 2019 General Election which resulted in the rapid departure of Jeremy Corbyn and then the arrival of Sir Keir Starmer as the new Labour Leader on, it must be said, a pretty left wing agenda a lot of things might have been expected.
The first was just how quickly Starmer ditched each and every policy promise he had made to win the Leadership. And along with the promises on policy went the left-wing members first in the Shadow Cabinet and subsequently from the party in huge numbers either sickened or sidelined. I was recently having a conversation with someone who supports both the SNP and the SSP. He told me that a friend of his now refers to the PM as Sir Keir Stalin because of the way he has purged the left from the Labour Party. Harsh? Perhaps.
Starmer then decided that he had to win the so called “middle England” to have any chance of a recovery so out went anything which smacked of radicalism far less socialism. To the point that even their commitment to spend £28 Billion on the New Green Deal was tossed unceremoniously overboard. As you all know, nature abhors a vacuum and will normally fill it but, in this case, Labour was left devoid of inspiration or meaning. As a result they spent the whole 5 years in opposition not saying or doing anything which could risk upsetting anyone. Bland would be complimenting their utterances or policies. “Change” was the beginning, the middle and the end of their programme. Just that no-one knew what would be changing. Certainly not pensioners, farmers, employers or the WASPI women!
While the blandness was all that was on display, most of the political commentariat allowed themselves to think that Labour was like the proverbial swan, moving serenely on the surface not to upset anyone but out of sight there were armies of apparatchiks beavering away in the background developing policy, strategy and costing each policy and it’s implementation to allow them to hit the ground running.
Instead we now see that Labour were busy only in wasting those precious years when they had the time and space to really think about what they were going to do. In short why did they actually want power? Ludicrously we have just witnessed Health Secretary Wes Streeting admit that Labour don’t even have a plan for the NHS yet. Six months on from being elected they still don’t have a plan for their number 1 priority. They now tell us that they hope to have a “plan” by May 2025, that’s 10 months since being elected! And that’s not even thinking about the link between NHS waiting times and Social Services. Equally, how do you build 1.5 million new houses when there simply are not enough builders, carpenters, plumbers or electricians etc. It might have been assumed that they had an idea but patently not.
That is culpable irresponsibility of the very 1st order.
It’s bad enough when they have lousy policies or plans but to have nothing at all after 5 years is almost beyond belief, Almost, because as we have seen Starmer is not exactly a policy wonk, nor indeed a party manager from the way he allowed Sue Gray or Louise Haigh to be thrown overboard. Procrastination and indecision are his hallmarks.
Five years might seem like an eternity when you’re sitting on the opposition benches waiting for the chance to take power. But those same five years fly by when you’re in government, not only trying to develop policy but fighting the fires which circumstances throw at Governments all the time. That five years is only 60 months and to waste 10 of them by not having a plan means that you’re going to struggle to pass legislation, implement the changes and then see results before facing the electorate again. Few Parliaments last their full 5 years and a PM will generally be looking to go to the country again any time after their 4th anniversary and I see no reason why this one will be different.
Meaning Labour will potentially be looking to have a General Election in the Autumn of 2028. That leaves Labour with potentially just a 50 month term of which 6 are now past. And as my late, beloved Granny would say “not a dish washed”. Pensioners, farmers mployers and WASPI all enraged, with nothing positive to show for it. Labour came into power without a clue about why they wanted power, how they would use that power or who would be better for that power. Which is why just 6 months in they look like they’re losing it.