Britain's Labour government, now led by Keir Starmer, has one major problem: it can't argue. Or at least, not in the way that would be necessary to make its case for a massive tax rise and spending cuts package.
Starmer's team is "constitutionally incapable" of picking sides, making enemies or having disagreements - the very things that are supposed to happen when politicians try to sell their ideas to an electorate. Instead of being bold and confident in their policies, Labour ministers hide behind bland slogans ("Change") and production-line policy briefings.
When asked about how they plan to convince voters to accept £20-£30bn in tax rises and spending cuts, Starmer's team seemed uncertain. One member joked that workers had "voted for Boris", implying a sense of resigned acceptance rather than passionate advocacy.
This approach has left the public suspicious - and experts say it's about to become an even bigger problem. The government is preparing to unveil its next major budget in less than a month, with £20-£30bn worth of tax rises and spending cuts on the table. Yet Labour ministers are struggling to make their case.
There's a vacuum where they should be arguing for their policies - filling it instead with criticism of the media and other politicians who might disagree with them. This approach is not only damaging to Starmer's government but also threatens its very survival.
One senior figure in Labour has already predicted that Nigel Farage will "get a lot out of" this upcoming budget. The truth is, Labour needs to start arguing - and arguing strongly - if it wants to persuade voters that it's the right team for the job. Anything less risks being left out of power altogether.
Starmer's team is "constitutionally incapable" of picking sides, making enemies or having disagreements - the very things that are supposed to happen when politicians try to sell their ideas to an electorate. Instead of being bold and confident in their policies, Labour ministers hide behind bland slogans ("Change") and production-line policy briefings.
When asked about how they plan to convince voters to accept £20-£30bn in tax rises and spending cuts, Starmer's team seemed uncertain. One member joked that workers had "voted for Boris", implying a sense of resigned acceptance rather than passionate advocacy.
This approach has left the public suspicious - and experts say it's about to become an even bigger problem. The government is preparing to unveil its next major budget in less than a month, with £20-£30bn worth of tax rises and spending cuts on the table. Yet Labour ministers are struggling to make their case.
There's a vacuum where they should be arguing for their policies - filling it instead with criticism of the media and other politicians who might disagree with them. This approach is not only damaging to Starmer's government but also threatens its very survival.
One senior figure in Labour has already predicted that Nigel Farage will "get a lot out of" this upcoming budget. The truth is, Labour needs to start arguing - and arguing strongly - if it wants to persuade voters that it's the right team for the job. Anything less risks being left out of power altogether.
and expect everyone to just trust him? newsflash keir: voters don't work that way 
you need to bring the heat, not just play it safe all the time 
or else u'll be stuck in opposition forever 
. They need to step up their game and stop sounding like they're reading from a script 
. A tax rise and spending cuts package is no joke, and they should be prepared to defend it passionately 
. The public can smell their unease, and it's making them look weak 
. We need more fire and less finger-pointing 
. Can't they see that this is exactly why voters are skeptical? They need to start taking a stand and fighting for what they believe in 
. Anything less is just a recipe for disaster 
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they need to get their act together 
is that how they became a gov? 
They're so scared of ruffling feathers 
my bet is the public will see right through this and stay away 
, not having an actual conversation. The public is smart, we deserve better than bland slogans and PR talking points. Labour needs to step up their game if they want to win back voters' trust 
. it's like, come on guys, you're trying to sell your policies to the public, not get voted off the island 
. their "change" slogan is soooo original... meanwhile, Boris got voted out and now they're just like "oh well, I guess we can't change after all" 
.
its been stuck in this range for ages 
and labour needs to prove they can get it down 
with these tax rises and spending cuts or else its gonna be game over for them 
if they don't start arguing their case then who's gonna believe them? 
. The Tories are already sharpening their knives, and Labour's just playing nice 
...it's gonna be hard for them to win over the voters that way 
.
. But you know what? If Labour can't argue their case, then maybe they shouldn't be arguing at all 
.
️ and show the public what he's working with 
! No more bland slogans or boring briefings - give me some substance, man! 
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. It's not going to be easy, but I think Labour needs a shake-up - both in terms of policy and personality 
. Anything less and they'll get stuck on the opposition bench forever 
, can't believe Starmer's team can't even be bothered to debate their own policies 
. I mean, come on Keir, if you want to make your case for tax rises and spending cuts, don't be afraid to put yourself out there 
! The UK needs strong leaders who aren't afraid to argue their point 
They just can't seem to make their case for those big tax rises and spending cuts 
. Politicians have been hiding behind bland slogans ("Change") for too long 
, but instead they're just criticizing others 
. This approach is a recipe for disaster 