Keir Starmer is stronger than people think
Something has shifted.
For weeks, parts of the media have spoken as if Keir Starmer was already halfway out of the door and Andy Burnham was already measuring the curtains in Downing Street.
But politics is not theatre alone.
It is pressure.
It is judgement.
It is government.
It is whether you can hold the room when everyone else is testing the walls.
And this week, Starmer did something important.
He made clear that he is not going anywhere.
Not through an anonymous briefing.
Not through an ally.
Not through a whisper to the lobby.
He said it directly to his Cabinet.
If there is a challenge, he will fight it.
And that matters.
Because Keir Starmer is a fighter.
He did not become leader of the Labour Party by luck.
He understands the Labour organisation, the party machinery, the MPs, the members, the unions, the pressure points and the discipline needed to hold it together.
And most importantly, he is not a commentator watching from the sidelines.
He is the Prime Minister.
Because leadership is not only about being popular in a media cycle.
It is about stamina.
Burnham may be a serious politician. I do not dismiss him.
But the more he is scrutinised, the more obvious it becomes that being a good communicator is not the same as being ready to run the country.
Fiscal rules matter.
Markets matter.
Cabinet discipline matters.
Party unity matters.
Delivery matters.
Starmer is not perfect.
But he is serious.
And after fourteen years of Conservative chaos, seriousness is not a weakness.
It may be exactly what Britain needs.
I may be wrong, but that is how I see it. What do you think?
Some outstanding developments and announcements from our Gov in the last 24 hours. Nude images on phones, joined up services for those with multiple needs and faster justice by enhancing AI. Not many make the media sadly.
#DoingTheMediasJob#FixingBritain#LabourAchievements
If you’re keen for Starmer to remain in post and are being affected by all the negative noise out there, this piece by Thomas is a thought provoking reminder of why Starmer is the only one for now and the next 7-8 years. Excellent piece.
@Keir_Starmer We’ve got a decent Prime Minister and we don’t need an alternative so we’re all backing you to win @Keir_Starmer I’m not surprised you are not standing down. Nothing @AndyBurnhamGM is saying inspires confidence. It is all cosmetic and it is all spin. He’s boxed in by the fiscal rules and he knows it so he refuses to talk about it. Hearing @lisanandy and @labourlewis fighting like children on @Peston there are a lot of panicked troubled souls in @UKLabour and it is disturbed by @reformparty_uk consistent high polling but the worst thing that @UKLabour could have done was lose faith in you and have a leadership challenge at this time. The revolt and civil war they have instigated by all the northern @UKLabour MPs who have decided to back @AndyBurnhamGM is unforgivable.
Reform UK: the misogynist lads’ club where women get bullied and demeaned DAILY.
Councillor Charlotte Kelly just fled to the Tories, exposing “bullying and sexism on a regular basis” while leadership defends the creeps and calls her the problem.
Zero days without scandal. This isn’t politics, it’s a toxic cult of has-been incels and woman haters.
How many more women have to escape before voters wake up?
#ReformExposed #SexistReform
.@BBCNewsnight Farage won't face questions. Cunningham won't mention her own donor scandals. £5m gift. £4m dark money. Hotels for him. Silence for both. Democracy's finest, ladies and gentlemen. 👏 #Newsnight
So PM Starmer spent yesterday meeting important leaders whilst Missing mayor Burnham played football and talked about the colour of his T shirt. Give me strength.
Claire, you're doing a fine job.
Most of these Parliamentary Labour MPs have not consulted their constituents before making many of the statements and announcements we have heard over recent months. Like most organisations, whether in politics or the trade union movement, there is always a tendency for people to listen more closely to the group around them than to the people they are supposed to represent.
The truth is that even Andy Burnham now appears to be slowing down his timetable, talking about supporting a successor in Greater Manchester before making any further moves. That in itself perhaps tells us something about the realities of the situation.
What is often missing from this debate is any consideration of the consequences. If Greater Manchester were to move away from Labour politically after Burnham's departure, what would that say about his record and leadership credentials? These are perfectly reasonable questions, yet they rarely seem to be asked.
Parliamentary Labour MPs should also be careful what they wish for. If Andy Burnham does win the by-election and does eventually trigger a leadership contest, the final decision will rest with Labour members. Those MPs who have rushed to take sides may yet discover that the membership reaches a very different conclusion from the one being discussed in Westminster circles.
The old saying comes to mind: empty vessels make the most noise.
What a nasty little shit stirrer you are.
It really doesn't suit you to have a decent and honourable man like @Keir_Starmer as pm, doing his best for the country.
Every day more people are realising it is possible to have a pm on our side...
And you get more desperate!