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People can’t believe minister’s verdict on Labour’s first year

Even for those of us who didn’t expect much from Keir Starmer, the past 12 months have been shocking. His Labour Party government has delivered one unforced error after another in aid of a political agenda which seems designed to push voters towards Reform. Things have gotten so bad that no one expects anything besides a complete wipe out for Labour at the next general election, with the party’s long-term future in genuine doubt.

So how would Labour education minister Bridget Phillipson sum that up?

A seven out of ten, apparently!

Labour: B+

The 7 out of 10 verdict was originally made by business secretary Johnathan Reynolds, as Laura Kuenssberg noted when interviewing Phillipson. Phillipson laughed at the score – a rare display of human emotion from her – before saying:

I think I’d be inclined to agree with Johnny. I think that’s that’s about right. I think we have made enormous strides forward in a lot of areas.

Of course, there’s more to do. And, of course, we hear what voters are telling us, that they voted for change. They’re impatient for change. They want to see it and feel it in their communities.

It’s interesting that she’d claim Labour is listening to voters, because what voters are saying is that they hate Labour; they hate Keir Starmer; they hate the direction that Labour is taking the country in, and they plan to vote them out as soon as possible:

 

 

Unsurprisingly, people had a lot to say about Phillipson and Reynolds’ verdict:

People also pointed out other areas in which Labour have failed over the past 12 months:

 

‘We have achieved so much!’

It wouldn’t be fair to say the Labour government has been a complete disaster, and MPs like Vicky Foxcroft are posting some of their ‘achievements’:

Taking rail back under public control is good, but to be fair, we were at the point at which the network was so bad that previous Tory governments were forced to re-nationalise parts of it. Given that this current Labour government fetishes privatisation elsewhere, it’s hard to have any confidence in them not bollocking things up in the long run.

Free school meals are great as a sticking plaster, but the reason we have an increasing number of children who need them is because wealth disparity in this country is running out of control. What is Labour doing to fix this key issue – the issue which is tearing countries around the world apart? Fuck all. Instead of taxing the mega rich they’re taking donations from them.

You could make a similar point about outlawing ninja swords. When people use deadly weapons to harm others, it’s generally a product of poverty or untreated mental health concerns. As noted, Labour isn’t fixing poverty, and it’s actively trying to make things worse for sick and disabled people, including those living with mental health issues. You can ban all the weapons you like, but at the end of the day you can’t stop the violence which naturally results from deprivation without treating the root causes.

It’s also noteworthy that a lot of the achievements they mention haven’t actually born fruit yet – we’re talking about the trade deals, the Youth Strategy, the Windrush Commissioner, the planning system reforms, the steps to protect renters’ rights, etc. Under a more competent government, these things could go well; under Keir Starmer, we’re far from confident.

Looking ahead with Labour

So what’s next for Starmer’s Labour? Well, if the mainstream media is to be believed (it often isn’t), Starmer plans to punish poor children out of spite because rebels ruined his plan to punish sick and disabled people:

It’s clear that Starmer can’t make it through the full five-year term. At the same time, it’s equally clear that the party seems incapable of producing a replacement who could genuinely turn things around.

Labour’s failure is why we support the creation of a left-wing alternative that can push for the change that Labour, the Tories, and Reform are making more and more necessary. It may take multiple election cycles to make such a party electorally viable at the national level, but at this point, what’s the alternative?

Featured image via BBC

By The Canary

This post was originally published on Canary.