Former Labour voters in Birmingham have expressed scepticism about replacing Keir Starmer as party leader, with some considering alternatives such as Reform UK or the Green Party. A focus group convened by More in Common in the Birmingham Yardley constituency revealed that while many are dissatisfied with the prime minister, they fear change could bring worse outcomes.
Bob, an engineering manager, summed up the mood: 'I don't know if it would be better off without him, because it’s like, at the moment things aren’t good, but things could always get worse and you don’t really know. Sometimes it’s better the devil you know than whoever you don’t.' Emma, a special educational needs worker, agreed, using the same phrase.
Terry, a secondary school teacher, identified potential successors like Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham as 'very working class but also much more relatable'. However, he remained uncertain: 'As Bob says, would things actually be better? We don’t know what Keir Starmer’s doing... he may be a genius behind the scenes.' Terry also cited lingering resentment over the government's decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners.
Despite reluctance to oust Starmer, the group expressed a strong desire for change. Kayla, a retail worker, complained that 'everything’s going up – petrol, going out – apart from our wages'. Dan, a younger participant, said he was attracted to Reform but simply wanted effective governance: 'If someone came out from any party tomorrow and said, we’re going to fix all the potholes... they’d have my vote immediately.'
Some group members praised the Green Party. Terry described Zack Polanski as 'very outspoken, very clear in what his message is', adding that Labour 'seem to be more like Tory-lite now'. Emma said the Greens 'seem to be more for the people, family, wages, the environment', and felt Labour had 'passed the baton on to the Greens'. However, she did not rule out Reform if they offered credible change.
