Sir Keir Starmer, the current head of Britain’s Labour party, has been known as a “red Tory” some time now thanks to his tendency to emulate the ruling Tory party’s policies in an ill conceived attempt to appeal to their voting base. His recent decision to “enforce the whip” (control how his party members vote, for those unfamiliar with our system) against sitting Labour MPs, forcing them to abstain from the vote on lifting the two-child benefit cap—a decision that’s going to leave a growing number of families struggling to feed themselves as the cost of living continues to climb—has led to a growing belief among former supporters that there is no opposition party in the U.K. anymore, and that the Labour party are now just Tories with a coat of red paint on top.
The two-child benefit cap was enacted by the ruling Tory party in 2017 as part of their austerity measures. Previously, families in the U.K. received a standard monthly payment for each child in their household to help with the expenses of raising that child, but former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne introduced the two-child cap in the name of “encouraging” parents to get back to work. (Unless you can prove you were raped. Then they’ll graciously grant you an exception.)
The fact that it hasn’t done that, and has instead driven numerous families into poverty, should be enough to see the policy scrapped—something Starmer himself promised to do as recently as last year. Now, however, ensuring that thousands of children across the country continue to go hungry is merely a “tough choice” we all need to accept if we want to see him installed as prime minister.
Except, as Starmer is finding out, why should anyone want to do that, if it just means more of the same disastrous policies attached to a fresh cast of faces? There’s already a party for people who like things they way they are, and they’re not going to jump ship for Starmer no matter how much he tries to persuade them that Labour does being a Tory better than the Tories do.
It would be one, still sickening and disappointing, thing if this were the only “tough choice” Starmer had made on his quest to run the country. But, sadly, it is not, and it’s this litany of failures to follow through, on both specific promises he’s made and the ethos of the Labour party in general, that’s seen what should be his voter base turn on him.
It’s not even the first time #SirKidStarver has trended in response to his use of the whip to ensure children went without food. It was created last year when he did the same thing on the matter of free school meals for children whose families were in receipt of Universal Credit (an umbrella of different welfare benefits for people with low incomes). Despite the fact that his actions are hemorrhaging his party supporters, Starmer has only doubled down, promising even “tougher” choices in the “next stage” when he spoke at the Future of Britain conference on Tuesday—prompting yet another round of former Labour supporters asking what the point of voting for him even is.
Even Rishi Sunak, current Prime Minister (outlasting several heads of lettuce) and supporter of the two-child benefits cap himself, openly mocked Starmer for his turn around on the policy during Thursday’s Prime Minister’s Questions. Responding to SNP head Stephen Flynn’s callout of Starmer for his reversal, Sunak called on the SNP and Labour dissenters not to worry, because while he of course “welcomed” Starmer’s support, he doubted it would stick, as “given the Labour leader’s track record, he has never actually kept a promise that he has made.”
While Sunak’s motivations were clearly self and party serving—pointing out how untrustworthy the opposition leader looks is always a net benefit—he’s not actually wrong in this instance, and the fact that this can be said about Starmer demonstrates just how badly Labour has failed as an opposition party under him.
Party members intend to challenge Starmer over his stance at the upcoming Labour National Policy Forum, which will be held this weekend. However, even if the challenge is successful, it won’t necessarily impact what actions Starmer takes, as decisions made at this forum aren’t actually binding, meaning Starmer can choose to reject any policy decisions made and continue down this course if he so desires.
There’s unlikely to be much of a Labour party left by the end of it if he does, but Starmer seems completely incapable of recognizing that nobody wants so-called “Red Tories”—not swing voters, not actual Tory supporters, and certainly no one on the left. As it stands right now, Britain doesn’t have a viable opposition party, and that’s a real problem for the roughly two-thirds of the country who want to see the Tories ousted next election.
(featured image: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
