After 100 days, Keir Starmer fights to regain popularity with the British government

When he came to power, Keir Starmer identified a series of challenges and priorities for the first Labor government in 14 years, but, 100 days later, the British Prime Minister did not expect that recovering his popularity and reputation would be on the list.

In recent weeks, as the Labor Party’s 20 percentage point lead in the polls over the Conservative Party has disappeared, Starmer has sunk in terms of regard among voters, the majority of whom have come to identify this government with dishonesty.

At the root of the problems are criticisms about the amount of “gifts” he received when he was still in opposition, including clothes, glasses and tickets to see football matches and concerts by singer Taylor Swift.

During the last parliamentary term, from 2019 to 2024, Starmer received offers worth around £100,000 (€120,000), substantially more than any other MP.

Although the practice is legal, the controversy damaged the executive’s popularity ratings, who upon entering office began warning that he would have to make “difficult decisions” in budgetary terms.

However, Starmer was also forced to replace his chief of staff following criticism from other government advisers after it emerged that Sue Gray’s salary was higher than the Prime Minister’s.

“It was probably the shortest honeymoon since Britney Spears’,” joked journalist Helen Lewis on the BBC, in reference to the American singer’s tumultuous love life.

Political scientist Tony Travers emphasizes that Labor “managed to damage itself within two and a half months of coming to power and the Conservatives [na oposição] They didn’t have to do anything.”

Uncharismatic, Keir Starmer was never a popular politician but he led the party to power thanks to his image of seriousness and competence, which was undermined by “trivial things that the electorate really doesn’t like, like accepting gifts and the feeling that there is a civil war within the government.”

However, Travers does not believe that these setbacks will jeopardize the Government’s plans because the Labor Party has a large absolute majority in parliament.

“The distractions of the last few weeks are distractions, but they do not harm the central capacity to govern,” said the professor at the London School of Economics university to the Lusa agency.

Riots and austerity

Upon taking office, Starmer’s missions were to alleviate homelessness, improve public services, promote the energy transition and grow the economy.

However, the beginning of the mandate was not the best: in the first week he had to announce the early release of hundreds of criminals due to the lack of capacity in penitentiaries.

Days later, he faced a series of violent riots in the United Kingdom, allegedly instigated by the far right to protest immigration.

At the end of August, Keir Starmer warned the country that the state budget, which will be presented on October 30, will be “painful” due to the £22 billion (€26 billion) “hole” left by the Conservatives .

As a consequence, it abolished the payment of an annual subsidy of 200 to 300 pounds (240 to 360 euros) to pensioners to pay for heating during the winter, limiting it to those with lower incomes.

This “cruel” decision resulted in the rebellion of seven deputies, meanwhile suspended by the Labor Party, the dismissal of deputy Rosie Duffield, widespread criticism from the opposition, unions and civic organizations.

All these controversies overshadowed a series of law proposals submitted in the first weeks of the Government, implementing several of the promises made during the electoral campaign.

Since July, the executive has advanced reforms in territorial planning to facilitate the construction of houses and infrastructure, launched GB Energy, which will invest in clean energy, lifted the embargo on the installation of wind towers on land and prohibited deputies from having second jobs .

Legislation was also introduced to strengthen workers’ rights, to protect tenant farmers, to nationalize the railways and to do away with hereditary membership of the House of Lords.

Even so, after just three months in power, 59% of Britons were dissatisfied with the government’s performance so far, according to a YouGov poll published on Friday, and only 18% approved. Of those questioned, 63% have an unfavorable opinion of Keir Starmer and only 27% are positive.

Attention is now on the budget that Finance Minister Rachel Reeves will present at the end of the month, to which some analysts attribute the “vacuum” that ended up being filled with negative news.

“The government hopes to be able to forget its difficult start” by then, wrote political scientist Anand Menon on the website of think tank UK in a Changing Europe, because “the Labor Party’s first 100 days raise more questions than answers.”