How long can Starmer survive? Getting popcorn ready 🍿🍿

^ 20% of our population living below the poverty line might be happier with something a bit more radical..^

There is always "20% living below the poverty line", as it keeps moving[not allowing for inflation]. On purpose.

Just thought I would say that, though it doesnt have much to do with the thread?

fancythat

^ 20% of our population living below the poverty line might be happier with something a bit more radical..^

There is always "20% living below the poverty line", as it keeps moving[not allowing for inflation]. On purpose.

Do you think that is something to live with?

Not only does it contribute to poor health but it also contributes to a stagnating economy when a very significant number of the population can barely afford the basics in life, let alone the purchase consumer goods which our capitalist economy depend on to maintain growth.

There will always be a hierarchy of 'wealth' in a society from rich to poor, but it should be possible for even the poorest in a wealthy society to live reasonably comfortable lives.

fancythat

Just thought I would say that, though it doesnt have much to do with the thread?

It does have something to do with the thread. The dissatisfaction with Starmer hasn't just materialised out of thin air. There are reasons for it. One of which being that there has been little attempt to lift 20% of the population out of poverty.

Hoping for some improvement if Starmer gets better advisors but not expecting much.

Starmer is Prime Minister; he shouldn't need better advisors.

I seriously wonder how he was ever called to the Bar, and who was responsible for giving him the position of DPP.
Quite seriously.

He was a barrister but cannot give an unscripted speech, let alone a credible answer.
His performances in the Commons are lamentable and also rude.
Is this his idea of how he thinks the working class behave? Because they don't.

Maremia

Did anyone see PMQ today?
How did it go?

Saw snippets of PMQ.

Starmer, as usual, looked flustered and turned more and more puce as Badendoch calmly pointed out his shortcomings. She received massive cheers as she proceeded to skewer him.

Yet again he blamed someone else for giving him bad advice. It is never down to him is it?

Cheers from the Tories!! Having voted Tory for much of my life I now don't think they have anything to crow about.

Primrose53

Maremia

Did anyone see PMQ today?
How did it go?

Saw snippets of PMQ.

Starmer, as usual, looked flustered and turned more and more puce as Badendoch calmly pointed out his shortcomings. She received massive cheers as she proceeded to skewer him.

Yet again he blamed someone else for giving him bad advice. It is never down to him is it?

I watched it. The award for getting under Starmer’s skin didn’t go to Badenoch, it was definitely Ed Davey who got him flustered. There was one really funny moment though, that had the whole House laughing. Independent Alliance MP Ayoub Khan told the Speaker that 'rubbish is building up below my very nose' while Nigel Farage, Richard Tice, Sarah Pochin and Andrew Rosindell sat below him.
All in all, it went okay for Starmer, he didn’t get as hard a time as I expected.

it was definitely Ed Davey who got him flustered

Oh, well done Ed!

He is far more incisive questioner than Kemi Badenoch, and he is always well prepared, I think it’s right to give credit where it’s due.

eazybee

^Hoping for some improvement if Starmer gets better advisors but not expecting much.^

Starmer is Prime Minister; he shouldn't need better advisors.

I seriously wonder how he was ever called to the Bar, and who was responsible for giving him the position of DPP.
Quite seriously.

He was a barrister but cannot give an unscripted speech, let alone a credible answer.
His performances in the Commons are lamentable and also rude.
Is this his idea of how he thinks the working class behave? Because they don't.

Starmer is not a charismatic, inspiring leader he can't convince his own MPs to follow him. Instead his own left wingers are making the running, exactly the reverse problem Cameron had with the 1922 committee.

I hope he survives because that is the least worse outcome, maybe he will pull a rabbit out of the hat and become popular

I watched it and thought both Badenoch and Davey landed some real blows.Ouch!
He must have expected it tho.

Thanks GNs for those updates.
Saw a post on Facebook just now, yes, yes, needs checking, stating that despite all of the 'excitement', Labour was catching up with Reform, in whatever poll they were discussing.
If the Epstein issue was affecting Starmer, maybe the fact that Farage is actually IN the Files is affecting Reform?

Which poll would that be?

Gorton and Denton I would guess. The predictions are up and down like a yo-yo.

PMQs man of the match today definitely Ed Davey.

I saw part of PMQ today which inspired my comment about how poorly Starmer responds to hostile questioning and how rude he becomes when flustered.
A barrister has had the most experience of forensic cross-questioning yet he seems resentful and increasingly unable to cope.
Compare that to his performance when apologising for everyone else's mistakes with a prepared speech to a captive audience a few days ago after last week's battering in PMQs. Deeply, deeply insincere.
At the root is a profound lack of confidence in him from opposition and supporters alike.
'We looked into the abyss.' said Miliband.

Casdon I have just watched Ed Davey at PMQ and, as he said, he did indeed touch a nerve with Starmer. Like I said, I had only seen snippets so thank you for bringing that to my attention.
Starmer was well and truly rattled. So rattled he didn’t attempt to answer Davey’s pertinent questions.

I assume that Ed has forgotten his own parties backtracking on student loans and his involvement in the postmaster scandal.

In fairness MayBee70, he was just doing his job. He was incisive, which both rattled Starmer and showed up Badenoch’s lack of skill when trying to do the same. That is the role of opposition leaders in PMQ, whether we like them, their politics or what they have done in the past or not.

Casdon

In fairness MayBee70, he was just doing his job. He was incisive, which both rattled Starmer and showed up Badenoch’s lack of skill when trying to do the same. That is the role of opposition leaders in PMQ, whether we like them, their politics or what they have done in the past or not.

I thought Kemi was excellent. she got Starmer on the ropes when she pointed out that he had some explaining to do about Matthew Doyle as well as Mandelson. How could he do this twice? He looked furious and couldn’t answer her.

She doesn’t have the ability to pin him, or anybody else down, she is sort of head girly in her approach I think, she always gives people the chance to waffle rather than hitting the nail on the head.

MayBee70

I assume that Ed has forgotten his own parties backtracking on student loans and his involvement in the postmaster scandal.

That was the kind of deflection Starmer tried to use!

It's irrelevant to the present crises.

Casdon

In fairness MayBee70, he was just doing his job. He was incisive, which both rattled Starmer and showed up Badenoch’s lack of skill when trying to do the same. That is the role of opposition leaders in PMQ, whether we like them, their politics or what they have done in the past or not.

Didn’t he call for a vote of no confidence in the PM the other day?

Kemi is the best person you have and I sincerely hope she can revive the Conservative Party because that would be a whole lot safer than the unknown quantity Reform party. She knocks spots off Starmer, she is a joy to watch.