Starmer.... was his most basic mistake was just being weak...?!?

John Rentoul’s article in The Independent doesn’t go after Keir Starmer for some flashy blunder or headline-making misstep. Instead, he says Starmer’s real mistake was much quieter - he looked weak.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-starmer-burnham-leadership-contest-b2912096.html

Rentoul argues that Starmer lost his authority when he failed to stick to his guns over welfare reform - instead he caved in to Labour back benchers demanding we keep unaffordable and unsustainable disability benefits, even for those who feel a little depressed.

Of course every government tweaks policy as they go. The problem, Rentoul argues, is that politics is just as much about signals as substance. Starmer had made the vote a test of party discipline—a show of strength, really. But when some in the party’s center pushed back, he didn’t insist. He conceded. That, at least, is how it looked in Westminster.

And in British politics, any hint of weakness spreads fast. If MPs think their leader will cave under pressure, different groups within the party get braver about rebelling, and suddenly the government looks like it’s just making things up as it goes along.

Starmer had a tough one with Welfare spending. Labour has built its reputation on protecting welfare. Trying to act tough on escalating spending without alienating core supporters was a tricky line to tread.

Challenging Times...

Starmer’s not just wrestling with numbers, he’s fighting to hold onto authority in a party that’s ever more unruly. At the same time, regular voters are watching. People tend to care less about the fine print and more about whether the leader looks in charge.

That’s the heart of Rentoul’s argument. It’s not really about the exact details of welfare policy at all. What stings is the sense that Starmer caved into pressure from his party.

And now we've got the prospect of a real leadership challenge coming up, maybe Starmer's been doomed from like a year ago...?