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Keir Starmer beamed on stage in Liverpool. Things are going well right now. The poll numbers for Labor are encouraging. The mood at the Labor Party conference was almost euphoric. The man has a good chance of becoming the new Prime Minister in Downing Street in the next few months. However, that is not necessarily due to him and his ideas.
The conservative government has maneuvered itself into the sidelines in recent years without his intervention. With Boris Johnson and Liz Truss we experienced a government that every opposition leader can only dream of. Starmer was a pleasant contrast. Quiet. Factual. Sovereign.
“Change” is the slogan of the moment
However, these characteristics are no longer enough. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also calm, matter-of-fact and confident. The British want more. After thirteen years of stagnation under a Tory government, voters are desperate for change. “Change” is the slogan of the moment.
Keir Starmer presented himself as reform-minded and combative in his party conference speech. What is broken can be repaired. Starmer was alluding to the ailing state of Great Britain. If he becomes prime minister, he wants to rebuild the country. Technical colleges with new training courses, a green energy industry and, in particular, new cities with 1.5 million houses and apartments.
You can’t score points with mega projects at the moment
Starmer has promised a real major renovation in Liverpool. It should last ten years. That means Starmer would have to be re-elected in five years. A certain degree of skepticism is therefore appropriate. In addition, the British are not particularly keen on mega projects at the moment. Thirty years ago they were promised a high-speed rail link to the north of England. Last week they experienced how such an ambitious project can end. The current government quickly overturned it.
Despite positive poll results, Keir Starmer has not yet reached his goal. The Labor leader thinks long-term. That is remarkable for a politician. But many Britons also want to know from their next prime minister how he wants to improve their everyday lives. They want their children to be able to read and write by the end of school. Don’t freeze next winter and don’t wait two years for a dentist appointment. Starmer should not rely solely on the Tories’ ability to regularly disappoint the British public.