Is Sir Keir In The Last Chance Saloon?

Grandmotherto8

As a lifelong Labour member, I have never been more disappointed with a Labour PM. I was a supporter of Sir Keir since he was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 onwards. He was a strong and resolute upholder of decency, trustworthy and someone whom knew his own mind. Since becoming PM he has been anything but, and his prevarication and wobbling is a grave embarrassment to me.

I'm afraid I'm finding the government as a whole an embarrassment, not just Keir Starmer ☹

A bit of ‘juvenilism’ from me too:

Bad Enoch
Fromage
King Brian (thanks to Private Eye)

Oh MayBee please can I use ‘Fartage’

It’s genius!

You’ll have to join the immature club, you know

Ladyleftfieldlover

A bit of ‘juvenilism’ from me too:

Bad Enoch
Fromage
King Brian (thanks to Private Eye)

Another member

love0c

Reeves has caused absolute devastation! She has not and does not care at all about people! That is a bully to me!

She has not done any "devastating" on her own! Things would not improve with this government team even if she went!

Is it the Peter principle where people are promoted to a job they are incapable of carrying out? That’s Keir Starmer. I am certain he was really good at his previous job because it suited him and his sort of personality much better. He probably did a lot of good for mankind, too. I am not being sarcastic here, I really believe this.

Grandmotherto8

As a lifelong Labour member, I have never been more disappointed with a Labour PM. I was a supporter of Sir Keir since he was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 onwards. He was a strong and resolute upholder of decency, trustworthy and someone whom knew his own mind. Since becoming PM he has been anything but, and his prevarication and wobbling is a grave embarrassment to me.

I very much agree with you.
I celebrated last Summer when he became PM and Labour got into power but have become more and more depressed about the situation ever since.
The Peter Principle at work definitely and the same with RR.

nanna8

Is it the Peter principle where people are promoted to a job they are incapable of carrying out? That’s Keir Starmer. I am certain he was really good at his previous job because it suited him and his sort of personality much better. He probably did a lot of good for mankind, too. I am not being sarcastic here, I really believe this.

That’s right.

Am hoping that a poor year will lead to a better one with good decisions but if it really doesn’t then it will only be this one term at the top for Labour.

The Conservatives brought about their own downfall through their constant in-fighting and it looks as though it is happening within Labour.
I think Starmer was possibly a good Directer of Public Prosecutions (I have little knowledge of his career) and far preferable to Corbyn but he is completely out of his depth as Leader of the Labour party and as Prime Minister. I do wonder if he entered politics through paternal pressure as was the case with the Milibands and the Wedgwood Benns.

I also wonder, if having cosied up to Corbyn for three years then stabbed him back and front, this is a calculated revenge engineered by the Corbynistas.
The future does not look good.
[Glad that RR has screwed her courage to the sticking point and made a public appearance, but please, please, all of them, stop surrounding yourself with serried ranks of apparent supporters.]

Churchill cried several times at the dispatch box

Perhaps, but he was leading the country when it was at war with Germany!

Not quite the same scenario.

RR has now appeared smiling happily with Starmer and saying she just had a ‘tough day’ yesterday.
Just as most people thought, no personal reasons at all outside of politics.

I agree, early days! The opposition and frequently the press are very vitriolic, I think that makes rational calm government much less easy but they seem to be heading in a better direction than the last lot, even though I don't agree with all their policies which are sometimes, I think, quite ideological rather than pragmatic. The backbench MPs are able to influence the decisions, which I think is a good thing and not a weakness of the system or the leadership. It's not an easy job, not a job where you are always popular, it's very hard to find a pathway to build a successful country when there are so many different measurements of success and so many different vested interests. I feel I can continue to support Kier and co and hope they can get a second term and see there have been been improvements in the quality of people's lives - change isn't necessarily linear or quick. Right now the prospect of Reform getting into power is very scary.

Oreo

RR has now appeared smiling happily with Starmer and saying she just had a ‘tough day’ yesterday.
Just as most people thought, no personal reasons at all outside of politics.

How do you know there were ‘no personal reasons outside of politics’?

Who has confirmed this?

rosie1959

Labour certainly seem to be getting in a bit of a muddle. Making decisions far too quickly without really thinking them through then having to reverse them. Does Rachel Reeves really know what she is doing as she promised in November no more borrowing and no more tax increases will she stick with this?
Starmer has to up his game

I really think Labour has some good ideas but unfortunately Rachel Reeves doesn't appear to think things through or consult those that will be affected. She rushes policies through then have made several u-turns. Not a good look and Starmer appears to be too busy grandstanding on the international stage instead of taking care on the domestic front. They are both inexperienced and need to take advice and speak to their own MPs first. Their communication team need replacing as they are not getting the message of the good things they have done bin a year, but the media only highlight the mistakes which are huge.

www.independent.co.uk/voices/kemi-badenoch-rachel-reeves-crying-tears-b2781778.html

Interesting article in the Independent.

Jaberwok

I would think on sitting down you might just glance if someone was in tears particularly if there had been a previous upset? Perhaps not if you're super insensitive or have been the cause of said tears.

Also neither he, nor Angela Rayner spoke to, or even acknowledged RR as they left the house of commons. It was only her sister that comforted her on their way out

Covid and Brexit shenanigans did for Johnson, and now Starmer has seriously blotted his copybook.
Farage and his xenophobic supporters will be cock a hoop.

Oreo

RR has now appeared smiling happily with Starmer and saying she just had a ‘tough day’ yesterday.
Just as most people thought, no personal reasons at all outside of politics.

She said, "It was a personal issue."

sundowngirl

Jaberwok
I would think on sitting down you might just glance if someone was in tears particularly if there had been a previous upset? Perhaps not if you're super insensitive or have been the cause of said tears.
Also neither he, nor Angela Rayner spoke to, or even acknowledged RR as they left the house of commons. It was only her sister that comforted her on their way out

I wasn’t in favour of KB’s attack, but the complete disregard for a member of their team shown by KS and AR was disappointing.

Much as I have no respect for Starmer, I live in horror, dreading that he will disappear and that we have Angela Rayner as PM. I shudder to think of it

Some of the problem re how things planned out in PMQs when RR was so obviously upset, stem from the way PMQs and general parliamentary debate has evolved into slanting matches; scoring points; "clever" remarks and generally being rather nasty really whilst booing and shouting and interrupting! If looks like school playground stuff at its worst a lot of the time! This expected style foesnt naturally lend itself to showing immediate empathy and understanding to someone so obviously struggling. Not does it lend itself to sensible debate and effective accountability in my view

Madgran77 Why did Badenoch even need to refer to how Reeves looked?

The ball was in Badenoch's court. The welfare bill has been a fiasco and Starmer must have been expecting criticism. In the end, Badenoch lost the moral high ground with her nasty, sneering comments.

She could have said something like, "You've made a complete pig's ear of this. There will be millions of people worrying themselves even more sick than they already are about how much money they will lose. Not only that, but you had to backtrack even to get your own backbenchers to support you."

Instead, she chose to have a dig at how Reeves looked. Badenoch didn't know why she was upset - it could have been for any reason.

I always thought he looked uncomfortable the moment he won the election. He's always looked like a startled rabbit caught in headlights. It was much easier for him in Opposition where all he had to do was to criticise and vote everything down.