Reeves
Keir Starmer
I am not a Labour voter but I want to see Labour doing a good job in parliament as our Government.
Last week we saw a good Pensions Act, last November a good CDC Act and we have more to come. Secondary legislation , more on R-CDC, not all of it is perfect but it’s good.
We seem to be going through a period when leaders who aren’t in Government can sound very good while Prime Ministers and Cabinet Ministers are rubbished. It’s the same in France and Germany – we don’t admire leaders instead we get rid of them regularly. That doesn’t sound good governance to me.
Now Labour seems to be taking it out on their leader – Keir Starmer. People are found from Sunderland to the South West of England telling us that Starmer is no good but didn’t we say the same about Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and David Cameron.
Do I think that Angela Raynor or the yet to be elected Andy Burnham? I don’t know. Keir Starmer has fired a number of senior figures in his party including Jeremy Corbyn his party’s leader.
If I was at the top of the Labour Party, I’d make it my job to see things out till the end of this Government (and make it last the full term). We cannot do more in parliament by changing Prime Ministers or Chancellors of the Exchequer, now I come to think of it.
What every party claims to be is the voice of the working person. But they can’t all be and in all honesty I saw Guy Opperman and Steve Webb as pension ministers we have had who wanted to do the job for the people, there were others in the Conservative party who I didn’t get to know and I can’t say I know Torsten Bell, but I think he is for the working person.
The money for parties and their leaders
I can’t see the Labour Government as not working for ordinary people and I hope that they keep on getting the union support. I don’t see parties being supported, even Reform who seem to have a different moral compass. Conservatives get support from business and the Liberals enjoy getting by on very little money. I will be interested if Green will get some of the money coming from the unions, perhaps this would be fair.
As parties grow, they get money from many sources and from Government. We are beginning to see five parties in England and an extra party or parties in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. That means a split of the Government finances for MPs and Councillors will get stipends (to a lesser degree).
Can Starmer continue?
I can see no financial advantage to Labour , to see off Keir Starmer and go through the expensive process of electing a successor. Starmer is in the midst of negotiations with many countries and he is in charge of many people in his Cabinet.
There is no fundamental reason for getting rid of the Prime Minister and it seems to me that he is being made the scapegoat of his own party who would like to think that a change would be for the better.
I will finish as I started, I am not a Labour voter but I do not wish them ill. The Government needs continuity and so does the country, can we leave Starmer alone?