Opinion on the decisions of Sir Keir Starmer in his first 90 days in power

What follows concerns six decisions taken by Sir Keir Starmer in his period in office to date. In their own way, each decision is deeply troubling

1. Giving - a massive sales aid to people smugglers

The first major decision from the UK’s new Prime Minister occurred on Day One of his premiership, when he announced the cancelling of the Rwanda Plan for the deportation of illegal migrants. In an instant, the only major deterrent factor for illegal migrants entering the UK was swept away – that of the possibility of being removed from the country in short order.

If anyone doubts this deterrence had already begun to work they only need ask the Irish people, who had started protesting on the streets about the numbers of illegal migrants entering the Republic from the UK in fear of being deported to Rwanda.

Yes, the Rwanda Plan was imperfect and needed shoring up by a long-overdue decision to leave the ECHR – or at least by formally resiling from some of its provisions – but it was having an effect. In this one immediate decision on entering office, Sir Keir Starmer gifted a major sales aid to the people smuggling gangs : “Buy a boat ticket. Once over there you will not be deported.”

2. Giving in – to its union paymasters

At the end of this month the new government of Sir Keir Starmer will present its first budget. In no small part the tax and spend measures adopted will be determined by the billions in costs arising from the PM’s complete surrender to some of the country’s largest unions and their enormous pay claims.

The budget will also pay abject homage to the forecasts of the ‘Office for Budget Responsibility’ (OBR). The Facts4EU.Org team has shown repeatedly how their forecasts have always been dire and unfit for purpose. Nevertheless it seems inevitable that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, will rely on them, to the detriment of the British public.

The extraordinary aspect of this capitulation to public sector union demands is that there were none of the usual productivity clauses or changes to outdated working practices typically demanded of and agreed to by the unions in return.

3. Giving up – on any pretence of respecting Brexit and delivering its benefits in full

On Wednesday (02 Oct 2024) Mr Starmer was in Brussels, where he gave up any pretence of improving the UK’s lamentable deal with the European Union as embodied in the Withdrawal Agreement, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and the Windsor Protocol.

In the ensuing press conference Sir Keir was at pains to stress his meeting with EU Commission President was about high level mood-setting. The outcome was him leaving Brussels having given his acquiescence to the unacceptable existing arrangements. Most journalists seem to have missed the point when they reviewed the joint statement released after the meeting. Here is the key paragraph :-

“They reaffirmed that the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement underpin relations between them and underlined their mutual commitment to the full and faithful implementation of those agreements. They reaffirmed their mutual commitment to uphold international law and to the European Convention on Human Rights.”

- Joint EU-UK Statement, Wed 02 Oct 2024

Readers should note the reference to “the full and faithful implementation of those agreements”. In short, the shameful elements of the UK’s various deals with the EU will remain. The EU only wishes to discuss and negotiate new deals on the UK surrendering yet more of its fishing rights in its own waters, a ‘youth mobility scheme’ once again allowing EU nationals free movement into the UK, and a defence pact which will limit the UK’s freedom to act independently in its own interests and which will undermine NATO.

4. Giving away – sovereignty over a key overseas territory and strategic military asset

By now readers will be aware of the Government’s announcement yesterday (while Parliament is in recess and no debate was possible) that the UK is to give up sovereignty over a strategically important asset in the Indian Ocean: The British Indian Ocean Territory.

Rather than add to the information already available to readers in the mainstream media, I will simply say that this is a catastrophic blunder. We understand this will be subject to an Opposition debate on Tuesday next week, as it involves an international treaty. Unfortunately the Government’s majority – which includes new MPs who are scarcely likely to know the first thing about the importance of the United Kingdom’s geo-military-political assets – will ensure that Sir Keir’s decision will stand.

As with Sir Keir’s apparent naivete in negotiating with the EU, so it seems he is equally naïve about the threat from dictatorial Chinese Communist Party ruled by Xi-Jinping. By the time this decision starts to affect us all, the PM will be in the House of Lords alongside his very generous friend Lord Alli. But be in no doubt: affect us this will.

Next we move from giving to taking

1. Taking from pensioners

At a time of continued increases in household energy bills, Sir Keir decided to penalise over nine million pensioners by taking away their Winter Fuel Allowance. £200-300 might not be a lot to Sir Keir (see below), but it is a lot to many pensioners on fixed incomes who have to budget for every penny spent. Not one word of this policy was included in the Labour Manifesto, on which he was elected only weeks earlier.

Interviewed on GB News last month I indicated the risks for Labour in pursuing this policy, but it seems that the Government is adamant.

2. Taking from rich donors

At the same time as the Winter Fuel Allowance debacle, another crisis was developing, as Facts4EU reported at the time :

© Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2024 - click to read

As Labour’s spin doctors from the Tony Blair era might say: “The optics on this aren’t good.” The story continues to rumble on, with daily updates in the media about the latest revelations of donations to members of the Cabinet – all apparently legal – and about Sir Keir feeling obliged to repay the £6,000 cost of his VIP Taylor Swift tickets. Put against the £200-300 cut in benefits for pensioners the optics are simply terrible.

Conclusion

Above are the six most newsworthy decisions by the Prime Minister in his first 90 days in office and some disturbing trends are starting to emerge.

None of the items listed have had any approval from the British people; not in Labour’s election manifesto nor in what the electorate might have expected in general terms. Some are simply PR disasters but others will impact the country for years to come – particularly the decision to give up UK territory in the Indian Ocean. It can only be hoped that Sir Keir will learn from his mistakes but currently the signs are deeply worrying.