Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer (Image: DX)
Most new Prime Ministers and Governments get a honeymoon period when moving into Downing Street. A spell when they are able to revel in the backing of an electorate which has given them the keys to No 10 following a general election victory.
Especially so after a landslide victory, as was the case 12 months ago when Labour returned to government for the first time in 14 years. But Keir Starmer’s own honeymoon barely left the departure lounge, such has been the unmitigated disaster which has unfolded ever since July 4, 2024.
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Rachel Reeves admits winter fuel u-turn (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)
Keir Starmer gives speech at BCC Global Annual Conference
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In 12 shambolic months, Sir Keir and his top team have stumbled from embarrassing crisis to embarrassing crisis which has seen public trust in the Government fall to its lowest level since records began.
Polls now show that Labour will be turfed out at the next election, probably in 2029, by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and there are already mutterings of “regime change” from backbench MPs who want a better leader.
So where did it all go wrong for Labour which secured a historic election victory with 411 seats, a majority of 174?
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Sir Keir’s party stood on a manifesto pledge of what it described as five bold missions focussing on the economy, green energy, the NHS, tackling crime and boosting education.
After entering Downing Street they took no time at all in blaming previous Tory governments for leaving the country in a “mess”, quickly citing a ￡22 billion “black hole” in the nation’s finances.
However, calamity number one wasn’t far off when Rachel Reeves suddenly announced, just 25 days after polling day, that she was slashing the universal Winter Fuel payment payment for around 10 million pensioners.
Branded “cruel” and “shameless” by critics, the decision took most people by surprise and was one that has had major ramifications for Labour ever since.
It was immediately seized upon by the Daily Express as we launched a crusade to reverse the policy.
The Chancellor’s decision was also hugely politically damaging and was widely ridiculed by the public, sparking protests and even a chart-topping song, “Freezing This Christmas”, parodying the Prime Minister.
Sir Keir, displaying a trait that is fast-becoming a trademark of his premiership, ultimately caved-in and performed a u-turn earlier this month.
But recent polls suggest the damage from Labour’s winter fuel debacle is irrevocable.
No sooner had the PM’s government alienated a large chunk of the electorate, they were at it again with the “freebie scandal”.
Sir Keir faced controversy in September after failing to declare a gift of several thousands pounds worth of clothes to his wife Victoria Starmer by Labour Party donor Waheed Alli.
It also emerged that the Special Escort Group of London's Metropolitan Police had provided Taylor Swift a top-level security service for her London Eras Tour following pressure from Home secretary Yvette Cooper.
The Prime Minister and several other senior members of his Cabinet received over ￡20,000 in free tickets for the shows by Swift's team.
Just two months in and cracks were also beginning to show at the heart of Downing Street.
This was compounded on October 6 when Sue Gray quit her role as the PM’s chief of staff, saying she "risked becoming a distraction".
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Keir Starmer and wife Victoria at Taylor Swift concert (Image: -)
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She had been caught up in rows over pay and donations from Lord Alli.
Things were about to get a whole lot worse for the PM when, three weeks later, Labour MP Mike Amesbury was arrested after punching a constituent in a late night brawl following a row over the winter fuel cuts.
This was to have seismic implications in May this year when Reform UK dramatically won the ensuing by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, held after Amesbury’s resignation and subsequent conviction for assault.
Sir Keir’s nightmare Autumn gathered pace when his Chancellor unleashed a ￡40 billion tax raid in her budget on the eve of Halloween.
The winter fuel cut was already known but hiking National Insurance Contributions for employers and Inheritance Tax on farms and family businesses were deeply unpopular.
Ms Reeves hammerblow to businesses has stifled the economy and seen unemployment rise, obliterating one of Labour’s key manifesto pledges.
Her divisive decision to clobber farmers led to a series of humiliating demonstrations with thousands, including TV celebrity Jeremy Clarkson, descending on Whitehall.
There was further embarrassment to come later in November when the Transport Secretary quit over a fraud scandal.
By now things had gotten so bad for Sir Keir he was forced to make a “reset” speech - just five months into his premiership - in early December, unveiling a series of “milestones” at Pinewood studios.
However, things were about to get a lot more challenging for the Prime Minister as the new year ushered in the arrival of Donald Trump’s stunning return to the White House.
2025 had barely got underway when the Labour leader was rocked by another resignation.
This time it was Tulip Siddiq, a close ally and friend, who quit as Treasury minister over a Bangladeshi sleaze scandal.
Trump’s arrival triggered a global rethink on defence spending, prompting Sir Keir to boost the UK’s and paid for by slashing Foreign Aid.
The decision, which was criticised by charities and some Labour backbenchers but broadly welcomed, led to another minister, Anneliese Dodds, jacking in her role covering international development.
Labour’s disastrous first year in power has seen the party’s poll ratings plunge.
This was put into stark reality in May when, aside from the by-election defeat, Labour suffered a local election pummelling at the hands of Reform UK.
And a new mega-poll by YouGov this week puts Mr Farage’s party on track to get the most seats if an election took place this year.
The MRP survey put Reform UK on 271 seats with Labour on 178, less than half of the 411 it won last year.
The Tories would fall to fourth place behind the Liberal Democrats, with just 46 Conservative MPs.
Keir Starmer picks up Donald Trump's papers (Image: AP)
Labour’s freefalling popularity not only reflects Sir Keir’s domestic woes but those on the international stage too.
His Brexit surrender, by cosying up to the EU, has angered many on the Right as has his deal to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
The PM’s handling of a volatile Mr Trump has also raised concerns with the UK steel and motorists being battered by the Republican strongman’s trade tariff blitz.
And Sir Keir has managed to squeeze in one more political cock-up before his party’s one-year anniversary, making a complete horlicks over slashing welfare costs.
His plans to reduce the overall bill triggered a mass backbench revolt with 126 Labour MPs rebelling against them ahead of a crunch vote on Tuesday.
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48 Comments
Keir Starmer dealt another blow just hours before crunch vote
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True to form, the weakened Labour caved in and made concessions.
After a year like that Sir Keir will be hoping that there's some truth in the words from the Tony Blair-era anthem “Things can only get better”.
But with Trump and Farage dominating the global and domestic agendas and the economy showing little signs of recovery, Sir Keir and Labour look set for another Annus horribilis.