Knives are out for Keir Starmer – but the real killer is Nigel Farage | Personal Finance | Finance
Even Labor is fed up with its dysfunctional prime minister. Like a poorly programmed robot, Starmer can no longer perform even basic operations. There is no doubt that he is intelligent, but he is not fit for power. He can’t lead, he can’t explain, he can’t inspire, and he can’t understand why he has to make a U-turn on every major decision, even though the reasons are clear to everyone. He just doesn’t understand.
Starmer has no instinct. He treats politics like a legal negotiation when it is complex, emotional and unpredictable. The aim of his attempt to thwart leadership rival Andy Burnham was to preserve his position. Instead, it exposed her soft belly and made Burnham stronger.
Labour’s National Executive Committee voted to ban the Mayor of Greater Manchester from standing in the by-election, and Starmer himself called on the committee to block a potential rival. It backfired spectacularly.
More than 50 Labor MPs have now signed a letter condemning the move. Many more are privately outraged. Two-thirds of party members think Burnham should be allowed to stand, favoring her over Starmer by 48% to 26%. Starmer tried to escape the fight and ended up sharpening the knives.
As Starmer embarks on another foreign trip, this time to China, the Labor Party simmers as intrigues unfold unchecked in his absence.
Personally, I don’t believe Labor members are wildly excited about Burnham. I don’t think Wes Streeting has their pulse racing either. Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband may tickle their fancy, but even the most hard-line activists need to understand that they are Marmite to the wider electorate. But they have to choose one.
Labor is fed up with Starmer’s indecision, U-turns, communication failures and general incompetence. Historically, the party has tolerated underperforming leaders for much longer than the Conservatives. He stuck with Ed Miliband in 2015 and even gave Jeremy Corbyn a second chance in 2019, with disastrous results.
This time it’s different. Labor faces a new threat that will focus minds. Nigel Farage.
The left hates and fears Farage. Many see him as the British Trump. As Labor and the Conservatives get further into trouble, Farage becomes more powerful. Labor knows it cannot contest the next election with a leader who cannot pull a punch.
Starmer may enjoy the work. It can even shine while wandering around international conferences talking about international law. But he won’t be able to throw a single punch in his political fight with Farage.
Labor cannot afford another failure at the helm. Not now. The beneficiary is with their nemesis Nigel Farage. Starmer has knives in his hands, but the real killer is Nigel Farage.
