Britain’s new prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has much to be proud of. He managed to end the Labour Party’s 14-year spell in opposition and to return his party to power in a landslide election victory.
He has, justifiably, earned himself the right to congratulate himself. He has a secure mandate and a huge majority, thanks to the country’s electoral system, which will allow him to govern comfortably – something that some Conservative administrations during the past 14 years would have loved to have.
In addition, the constitutional makeup of the United Kingdom seems safe for the time being. Labour’s excellent performance in Scotland and the virtual wipe-out of the Scottish National Party (SNP) from Westminster has put the threat of Scottish independence on the back burner.
The Labour Party, however, only marginally increased its vote by 1.7% over the 2019 election. Moreover, in terms of absolute votes, it obtained 537,000 votes less than in 2019 – its worst electoral result since 1935. Significantly, it polled over 3,100,000 votes less than it did in 2017. Both elections were fought under the leadership of left-winger Jeremy Corbyn.
Moreover, some marginal seats were only won because the centre-right vote was split between the Conservative Party and Reform UK. The splitting of this vote has seen some Tory stalwarts lose their seats – not least former prime minister Liz Truss. The seats once held by prime ministers Margaret Thatcher, David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Theresa May were also lost.
The splitting of the vote signifies not so much an increased trust in Labour but, rather, increased disenchantment with a Conservative Party that has become more woke, less visionary and increasingly clueless. The Conservatives, however, must resist the temptation to turn to the right in opposition. They must remain in the centre and rebuild as a credible alternative government.
There is no doubt, however, that the new British government has a clear mandate to govern – Labour got 10 percentage points more than the Conservatives in terms of the popular vote – and a clear majority in England, Scotland and Wales.
Sir Keir now has an extraordinary opportunity to rebuilt integrity in UK politics and to show that a moderate centre-left government can deliver positive results for voters. It is indeed encouraging that with populist right-wing parties gaining ground in Europe – and with the possibility of Donald Trump returning to the White House after November’s US presidential election – Britain has opted for a level-headed centrist leader who wants to improve ties with Europe and has made clear his unwavering commitment to both NATO and support for Ukraine. The performance of the Liberal Democrats, who got 12 per cent of the vote, has also solidified support for the political centre.
Britain’s new government must now be ready to make hard choices in the national interest – it must kickstart economic growth, together with concern for the environment, prioritise wealth creation, drastically improve public services, particularly the NHS, and tackle people’s concerns about immigration.
One cannot ignore the fact that the right-wing Reform UK got 14 per cent of the vote, and, unless the new government addresses the issue of migration (in a socially just way), Reform will continue to gain in strength. Though Sir Keir and his team are justifiably proud of their achievement, they may find that the exercise of government is complex and challenging. In opposition, he could be all things to all people; he would be expected to deliver in government.
If such expectations are not met, Sir Keir may discover that his majority may dissipate over the next five years. In this regard, he won’t have an easier ride than the Conservatives did.