Four years’ ago Keir Starmer took over a demoralised party that had just suffered its worst general election defeat for 80 years.
Now he stands on the brink of power with all the polls pointing towards a Labour landslide. The journey from the doldrums of 2020 to the hope of victory has not always been smooth. Turning around Labour’s fortunes has taken time, graft and determination but also a dollop of political luck. Here we look at how Starmer has performed since becoming leader.
Anit-Semitism
One of Starmer’s first acts was to promise to rid the stain of anti-semitism which had infected much of the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn.
Members who expressed anti-Semitic views were expelled or driven out. Most significantly, Corbyn was suspended from the party and blocked from standing as a candidate. Score: 4/5
Shadow Cabinet
Starmer’s first shadow Cabinet was an uneasy mix of modernisers and a few survivors from the Corbyn era. The balance of power shifted dramatically following the promotion of Rachel Reeves to Shadow Chancellor in 2021. The shake up also saw Wes Streeting, one of the party’s most effective communicators, moved to health and Bridget Phillipson handed education.
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Last year, Starmer further beefed up the presence of the Labour centrists by handing key roles to Peter Kyle, Liz Kendall, Hilary Benn and Darren Jones.
The appointments are seen as instrumental in making Labour look electable again. Score: 5/5
Policies and U-turns
Starmer stands accused of abandoning almost all of the pledges he made during the leadership contest. These included a promise to bring water, rail and energy back under public control.
Since becoming leader Starmer has watered down a commitment to spend £28billion a year on the green economy and rowed back on scrapping the universal credit.
Allies argue that the U-turns reflect the new economic reality following Liz Truss’s mini-Budget disaster. But critics accuse Starmer of not showing enoughboldness or vision. Score: 3.5/5
MP Gen Kitchen, second from the left, celebrates her victory in the Wellingborough Parliamentary by-election in February (AFP via Getty Images)Leadership
The prospect of power has not just transformed people’s view of Labour, it has transformed Starmer. The Labour leader was at first regarded as distant and stuffy.
He is now more comfortable in his own skin. His willingness to open up about his relationship with his father and the challenges of caring for his chronically-ill mother have shown voters his human side. Starmer at Prime Minister’s questions used to borrow heavily from his time as a lawyer. Now he is punchier and funnier.
Unlike the last two Labour leaders, Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn, he looks the part of Prime Minister. Score: 4/5
Mr Starmer faced criticism over his initial unwillingness to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza (AFP via Getty Images)War in Gaza
This has been a rare misstep by the Labour leader. Starmer angered many colleagues and members with a radio interview in which he indicated Israel had a right to blockaded Gaza. He later clarified his position but the damage was done. His initial unwillingness to call for an immediate ceasefire also caused him difficulties when more than 50 MPs, including several frontbenchers, voted against the party line in a debate on the situation. Unease over Gaza continues, with 20 Labour councillors in Pendle resigning this week. It was also a major factor behind George Galloway’s Rochdale by-election victory. Score 2/5
Labour’s reputation
When Keir Starmer was elected leader Labour was reeling from its worst general election result since 1935. The party had lost a string of seats in its traditional “Red Wall” heartlands, was 19 points behind in the polls and was saddled with policies from the Jeremy Corbyn era. Many feared they were looking at another ten years in opposition.
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Labour now commands a poll leader of 20 points over the Tories and has won a string of by-elections in formerly safe Conservative seats such Wellingborough, Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire. The polling guru Sir John Curtice has given Labour a 99% chance of forming the next government. Score: 5/5
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