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Washington Bureau Chief
In Liverpool this week Sir Keir Starmer had his first opportunity to address a Labour conference as prime minister, giving the leader a chance to take stock of his government’s performance since sweeping to power in July.
The prime minister set out his vision for the future of Britain under Labour, and his determination to rebuild the nation, while facing down criticism for means-testing winter fuel payments.
He has faced criticism for accepting freebies including clothes and glasses – though our chief political commentator John Rentoul says those jeering him are playing into the hands of the right-wing media and those trying to dissuade a new breed of politician from Westminster.
When we asked for your early assessments of Keir Starmer’s tenure as prime minister, the comments revealed hope for the future – with calls to address areas such as wealth inequality, repair public services and create closer links with the EU.
Here’s what you had to say:
‘Progress in the right direction’
In the hurricane of dissent from the right-wing media, which one might expect, Labour are making progress in the right direction generally.
But, they must read the zeitgeist better and show some signs of addressing the catastrophic wealth inequality in Britain. Tax the rich and feed the poor and we are all better off.
silverbus
Inherited mess
The freebies coverage hasn’t changed my opinion of Labour. I feel that the stories did far more and if Labour are staying within the rules, I can’t help thinking it’s just the Tory press making a smear out of nothing.
I do think the doom and gloom was a bit heavy-footed but I also can see that they’ve been making enormous changes against the massive odds of the mess they inherited. The swift action against the rioters was decisive. They’re bringing the arts back into the curriculum. I really think they’re going to turn the country around.
Val
‘Give them 14 years’
Recent events have not impacted my opinion of Starmer and his government whatsoever. The election was on the 4th July which is not even three months ago and the task facing the government is huge. The impact of their policies will be seen over a period of years not weeks.
People tend to have very short memories with the chaos of the Tories fading into the past, but their legacy will not be cleared up with a newspaper headline, a party conference or even the first budget. We complain about the ‘short-termism’ of politicians acting to gain or keep votes every few years, and yet it seems we’re happy to dismiss this government after a matter of weeks. Give them 14 years and see how things are then!
ColwynDay
‘Higher bar’ for means-tested fuel allowance
I’m a fortunate, well-off woman in a relationship with another well-off retired professional. Both have good occupational pensions, live in a well-insulated home with an air source heat pump, in a prosperous rural Yorkshire village where 95 per cent plus own their own homes and are similarly placed. I certainly don’t need or want a winter fuel allowance.
That said, I think a means-tested solution should have a far higher bar. People dependent solely on the lowest state pension in Europe, are more likely to live in cold, drafty rented accommodation. Inequality in UK is a killer and this policy as it stands will impact on the poorest, least healthy section of the population.
CalamityJane
‘Dealing with the impossible’
Good start dealing with the impossible. Miracles take a bit longer.
It takes a long time to clean up an inherited mess. They have done well so far.
gustifer
‘Rush to judgment’
There’s a lot of ‘rush to judgment’ going on around here.
Tories = 14 years of doing nothing except buffoonery (Johnson, Rees-Mogg) idiocy (Truss, Dorries) unenlightened self interest and making things worse (plenty of data to support that if you can be bothered to look)
Labour = less than three months which in political terms is no time to make any noticeable difference.
I suspect the negativity below is mostly Tory Tribalism and Reform Contraryism, even from some who claim to have voted for Labour.
All that said, I don’t agree with removing the winter fuel allowance from most pensioners which I think was a very clumsy act politically and very harsh on those pensioners who clearly need it.
As it goes I’m a pensioner who doesn’t need it (more by luck than judgement and a fairly generous final salary pension) so I’ve no problem they took it from me.
Just to be clear I’m a floating voter who voted Labour this time because all the data was very unflattering to the Tories and too many of them struck me as being unserious, out of touch and borderline venal.
As for Reform – far too right-wing for my tastes and Farage is the worst kind of plausible sophist entirely lacking substance and full of special pleading his case.
I won’t score Labour until the end of this term of government. Then I’ll score them at the ballot box, purely based on the data.
WokeUp
‘Get on with the job’
The main thing they need to do is shut up about the Conservatives and get on with the job. They need to be more positive and back this up with policies that encourage growth and investment. Changes that help families and young people should also be at the top of the list.
theculture
‘It will take more than a few weeks’
Obviously, I am extremely unhappy about the winter fuel allowance debacle, because I know several elderly pensioners who are just over the pension credit limit and will suffer. Continuing the move from working tax credit to universal credit has already hit me because I can no longer claim my £24 a week. Not much to some, but it went a long way towards my food.
As for the rest, well, I shall give my thoughts when they have been in longer. It will take more than a few weeks to sort the mess that the Tories left behind.
MsRuthless
‘The direction of travel is good’
They have been politically inept, in my view. Means-testing winter fuel should have targeted only the well-off. If the right-wing media can point to a dead pensioner that they can blame on Labour, we won’t hear the last of it. But the direction of travel is good; repair the public services and trade relations with Europe, take those privatised utilities in hand. They’re fortunate there’s plenty of time to improve.
Longmemory23
‘Little creativity’
I was optimistic when Labour won the election, it was a move away from the far left of the party and Starmer seemed highly qualified for the role. I wasn’t thrilled about the policies and the manifesto was vague, but the message of change was their main campaigning point and change is exactly what the country needs.
However, after a few months, despite what the government says, it seems like change is not really on the agenda. It is more of the same and unfortunately, I’m not surprised. There seems to be very little creativity in the few solutions offered and the vagary is ongoing. Overall the approach is quite wishy-washy which rather suits Starmer’s disposition.
Regardless, I am withholding strong judgment until next election cycle when we will see if their policies have actually made a difference. I won’t be holding my breath.
JimboJones
‘Political naivety’
It seems to me that it was gross political naivety for the Labour government to make the first public service cut to pensioners’ income. While I’ve always felt a bit guilty as a pensioner taking the winter fuel allowance – I am reasonably comfortably off with a work pension as well as the state pension – I do feel for those who only get the state pension, I don’t think I could live off it.
As for the freebies scandal, I don’t know how the Tory press has the nerve to condemn Starmer after all the money the Tories have leached out of public funds for their cronies, never mind private donations – the PPS scandal during lockdown comes to mind.
Gingerbred
‘I still have hope’
They are clearly more competent and well-intentioned than the last rabble, but the winter fuel debacle does feel like an unnecessary, unforced error and the ‘freebies’ farrago is just a bit politically naive. Ultimately, they have misread the need for a) a more hopeful strategic story and b) the need to get out there day in and day out to shape the short-term narrative.
If they can learn from those mistakes, I still have hope for the next five years. But if they don’t, they won’t get a second term. In particular, regarding the winter fuel payment, they should find a way to defer or remove poorer pensioners from the hit.
Ned76
‘Time and space’
It s very early days, far too early to judge. I’ve liked some of what I’ve heard from some ministers. But I am disappointed with other elements, like the expenses ‘same old’.
But I’m prepared to give them time and space to clean out the Tories’ Augean Stables and then see where they get to, what they manage to achieve. Of course, this version of Labour will not be to everyone’s taste (not sure it’s to mine, TBH) but Jeez Louise, it’s way better than the alternative.
Lysistrata1
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