Post Segments
Dear Subscribers,
Politics this week has taken on a heightened dramatic character, with media attention juxtaposed between the formalities of the King’s Speech and the long knives of Andy Burnham and others – the two serendipitously coinciding when an MP shouted ‘Not now, Andy!’ in response to Black Rod’s ceremonial banging on the door of the Commons.
The King’s Speech outlined the government’s intention ‘to strengthen ties with the European Union’ with a European Partnership Bill. It is in many ways the cumulation of this government’s long-held ambition of ‘dynamic alignment’ with Europe, and it has now been inflected by political calculation amongst Starmer and his ministers. The Telegraph notes how the Bill will utilise ‘Henry VIII powers’, meaning that EU laws can imposed in the UK without consulting Parliament. More specifically, the Bill intends to realign with the EU over food standards, electricity and energy trading.
The King’s Speech also announced the nationalisation of steel production and the implementation of voluntary Digital ID. The one is a benefit of our leaving the EU, while the other has slipped through in spite of public scepticism and government backtracking on a compulsory measure. Regarding energy, the government will continue with the Conservatives’ Net Zero doctrine with an Energy Independence Bill, which will ban the opening of oil and gas fields in the future – as well as thwarting the prospect of re-opening the North Sea for drilling.
Badenoch’s response in opposition was equal to the moment – much-needed following the Conservatives’ local election results – combining robustness and humour. She succeeded in exposing the gap between the reckless ambition of the government’s direction of travel and the fragility of the Prime Minister’s position. To be sure, Badenoch dug away with reference to the dissenting Labour backbenchers, the four ministerial resignations and the unsubtle connivances of Wes Streeting, precipitating his resignation the following day.
Above all this week, the scene has been arranging itself for the challenge to the Prime Minister’s position. Streeting’s operation has seemed to fall flat; Angela Rayner has, miraculously, been cleared by the HMRC over her tax affairs, and yet she has been overshadowed by a larger figure. Enter Andy Burnham. The disgraced junior minister Josh Simons has announced he will step down to allow Burnham to challenge his seat, Makerfield in Wigan. Burnham has been cleared by the Labour NEC to stand in the by-election that will take place on 18th June – a by-election that will decide the fate of Keir Starmer’s premiership.
Blog
UK Labour Government Criticism: An Incompetent Era? by Adrian Hill
An unfiltered look at the current UK Labour government. From EU relations to public spending, this critique argues why this administration is the most incompetent in a lifetime and why its core policies are failing.
Media
Understanding the entity known as Starmer by Will Self in The Telegraph
Who will be the next prime minister? by Tim Shipman in The Spectator
Key Points
Makerfield: the making or unmaking of Starmer’s premiership
The Makerfield by-election will be a local occasion with national ramifications. In the recent local elections Reform won all eight seats that were on offer there; at the 2016 Referendum it voted Leave by 65pc.
Yet this has been complicated by a number of factors. First of all, the question (for it is not certain) of how far Burnham’s personality can transcend the Labour party; and connected to this, how desirable a Burnham government would be. As to the latter, the negative desire to throw Starmer out might just be overpowering, given the natural feeling of empowerment for the electors of Makerfield. However, Burnham has been clear that he believes in a socialist economic doctrine (‘Manchesterism’) and (seeing no contradiction) Britain’s re-entry into the EU. It will therefore matter how far Burnham can transcend talk of policy as much as his opponents expose his undesirability.
But Burnham’s personal standing is not all. Reform is theoretically poised to win in what is typical Red Wall territory. However, there is the prospect of its vote being split by Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain, who are intending to stand a candidate. And from another angle, potential Green and Lib Dem voters would likely vote tactically to shut Reform out and to deliver Burnham and his leftism into No. 10. Quite what the Conservatives will do is yet to be determined.
The chances, then, of a Burnham victory are as high as his defeat: to say that it is a gamble of the highest stakes is no exaggeration.
