𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir Starmer may be about to let millions of voters down over Brexit and immigration. On the former, amid calls from London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan to reverse the 2016 referendum, the Chancellor said this week the Starmer Government would pursue a bespoke deal with Brussels where divergence would be the “exception, not the rule”.

Separately, amid criticism of his government by former deputy PM Angela Rayner, the PM has apparently opened the door to concessions over reforms to the rights of 1.6 million immigrants, with Downing Street refusing to say whether the Government will press ahead with plans to increase the time it takes to qualify for permanent residency.

That followed criticism from leadership challenger Red Ange (whose family life should disqualify her from high office anyway) that said plans were “un-British”, despite having previously warned about migrant access to Universal Credit.

As with the PM blocking of Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s possible return to Parliament, any move to backtrack on immigration will be seen as Sir Keir putting career over the needs of party and country, as left-wing leadership rivals circle.

On the EU – as we near the 10-year anniversary of Brexit – Brussels has been crystal clear Britain cannot pick and choose its way back into the EU’s inner circle.

You’re either in or you’re out and given this Labour Government is made up of hardcore Remainers, it hardly seems fanciful that a backdoor re-entry is well underway. Again, it looks as though Sir Keir – who presumably okayed the Chancellor’s message – is putting his own career over the democratic will of the people.

Then again, this is a PM who attempted to stop May’s local elections going ahead. Presumably the democratic will of the people isn’t too high up on the agenda list. Downing Street insists any attempt to delay local elections was because of ongoing local government reforms, nothing to do with Labour facing an electoral wipeout you understand.

Now, having seemingly backed the Home Secretary’s plan for immigrants to be forced to wait 10 years – rather than five – before applying for indefinite leave to remain, the PM’s spokesman said ministers are considering responses to a consultation on the plans and would react “in due course”.

Meanwhile the Home Secretary (another leadership rival to Sir Keir) suggested there could be “transitional arrangements” to soften the impact for immigrants.

Is this all just capitulation from the PM, fearing yes the surge of Reform on the Right, but also the rise of the Greens on the Left, not to mention the ire of his own disgruntled backbenchers?

In attempting – Tory style – to be all things to all people, Sir Keir is likely to please no one. If immigration reforms are too tough then why is Reform surging? If Britain’s economic problems would be solved by rejoining the EU then why is the UK economy outpacing so much of the bloc?

Having won a landslide in the heady days of 2024, this is a government without direction or anchor. Labour should learn from the Conservatives that chopping and changing leaders does little for electoral chances.

If anything – without monumental course correction – it merely smacks of weakness and desperation. Then again, a party which – like the Tories before it – did a bait-and-switch on the electorate can hardly be expected to be straight with the public now.

To be honest, the PM is not the real problem. It is this continuity Labour government which doubled down on the worst excesses of the Conservatives and now finds itself rudderless in the face of challenges it makes worse by the day.