What follows was written and published on 04 October 2024

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.

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.

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….. 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.

“.... 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

….. this is a catastrophic blunder.... 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….. But be in no doubt: affect us this will.

Next we move from giving to taking

5. 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.... Not one word of this policy was included in the Labour Manifesto, on which he was elected only weeks earlier.

6. 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... Sir Keir feeling obliged to repay the £6,000 cost of his VIP Taylor Swift tickets....

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.

All the above was written and published on 04 October 2024