Keir Starmer may still need to dispel perception of ‘boys’ club’
GuardianSep 29
UK: Petition Demanding New General Election Crosses 2M Signatures
Above: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer steps out from 10 Downing Street to welcome Prime Minister of Romania Marcel Ciolacu ahead of their bilateral meeting in London, United Kingdom on Nov. 13, 2024. Image copyright: Matthew Horwood/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A petition calling for a general election rerun in the UK launched by pub owner Michael Westwood, who claims that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's Government has "gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election" has reached over 2M signatures.
According to the UK Government guidelines, any petition that asks for a change to the law or policies gets a response from the government after 10K signatures. After petitions cross the 100K threshold, they could be considered for debate in the parliament.
The Spin
Left narrative
Labour inherited a dire financial legacy from the Conservatives that, despite the tantrums of many right-wing critics, will take more than five months to repair. While they have certainly faced headwinds since entering power, Starmer's Government was elected with an overwhelming mandate to deliver change and has been forced to make difficult decisions that are important to the UK's future success.
Right narrative
The Labour government's actions looked nothing like what was promised in the manifesto. The country has been worse off since Starmer came to power, and it's no wonder that his personal popularity has nosedived alongside Labour's polling numbers. The people of Britain have had enough already, and — although unlikely to end in a general election — it feels as if Starmer is already against the clock to turn his fortunes around.
