Keir Starmer opens Downing Street’s door this week for guests from schoolchildren singing carols to MPs and hacks, trooping in to meet the PM over English sparkling wine. Starmer will be looking forward to a few days off. He looks and sounds tired after undertaking a punishing travel schedule to introduce himself on the world stage. Even his closest allies admit that the plan for a focussed first half year in office hit the reality buffers fast.
A new poll for Ipsos shows three-fifths of voters are unhappy with Labour’s record, with personal satisfaction ratings dropping even further — Starmer has the worst score for a Prime Minister, since research began under Margaret Thatcher. Unforced errors from the “freebie” scandal and unhappy departure of Starmer’s intended ex-civil service enforcer, Sue Gray, as well as a Cabinet resignation (Transport Secretary Louise Haigh), have fast watered down the “Keir’s here” relief which followed July’s confident election result.
