Keir Starmer’s premiership began with a promise to restore order, rebuild trust and deliver a decade of renewal. Fourteen months in, and that promise is appearing increasingly empty as criticism grows from within his own party and from a public increasingly unconvinced he can deliver.
Uncontrolled illegal immigration
The collapse of Starmer’s migrant deportation policy is emblematic. Numerous flights left Heathrow empty, blocked by legal challenges and human rights injunctions. Since then, we’ve had three (or is it four now?) deportees fly to France.
The High Court’s ruling against the removal of an Eritrean man – citing risk of destitution – was a direct rebuke to Starmer’s “deterrent-first” approach. What was meant to signal control now signals confusion and weakness.
Ironically, Starmer built his legal reputation as a barrister supporting migrant rights. He won landmark cases securing financial support for asylum seekers and challenged unlawful deportations. Now, as Prime Minister, he finds himself on the other side of the courtroom -defending policies that echo the very perceived injustices he once opposed.
Starmer ‘not up to the job’
Clive Lewis MP, once a loyal Labour voice, has publicly declared Starmer “not up to the job,” warning of a dangerous vacuum in leadership and a growing fear of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, now polling ahead of Labour in key regions. Lewis’s comments reflect a broader unease: Starmer’s technocratic caution may no longer match the urgency of the moment.
Even diplomatic wins, such as the US trade deal and the deft handling of Donald Trump’s state visit, have failed to shift domestic sentiment. The electorate is restless. The party is fracturing. The polls are unforgiving.
How long will Starmer last?
If the May 2026 local elections deliver the expected losses for Labour in Wales, Scotland and urban English councils, his position will be untenable. If internal dissent accelerates, as it appears to be doing right now, Christmas could mark the end of his tenure.
But leadership is not measured solely in time. It is measured in legacy. Unless Starmer finds clarity, conviction, and emotional resonance with the public, his premiership risks becoming a footnote remembered not for renewal but retreat.
Burnham or Carns?
What’s needed now is a wholesale shift in Labour’s direction. Someone like Andy Burnham, with his regional credibility and populist instincts, could offer the emotional connection and policy clarity Starmer lacks.
While still a way off, a left-field figure like Al Carns – charismatic, authentic and a real vote-winner – deserves serious consideration for a future cabinet role. Carns speaks to the electorate Labour has lost: aspirational, working-class and tired of political theatre.
The clock is ticking. If Labour wants to lead the country, it must first lead itself boldly, decisively and with a team that reflects the nation it aspires to serve.
