The past week in Westminster has been described by many as a complete shambles for Sir Keir Starmer's government, raising serious questions about its stability and inadvertently boosting the prospects of Nigel Farage becoming Prime Minister.
No 10's Aggressive Briefing and Internal Warfare
The chaos began with a briefing from Number 10 against Health Secretary Wes Streeting. This move, intended to shore up the Prime Minister's authority, backfired spectacularly, creating the public impression of a government at war with itself. The aggressive communication was designed to signal to rebellious Labour MPs that Starmer would not depart quietly if challenged.
It served as a stark reminder of the difficulty in removing a sitting Labour leader. Unlike the old Conservative system, Labour's rules require 81 MPs – a full 20 per cent of the parliamentary party – to publicly back an alternative candidate, a much higher bar than the previous Tory threshold.
The Budget U-Turn and Economic Uncertainty
Just two days after the internal briefing, the government performed a last-minute U-turn on its Budget. Chancellor Rachel Reeves had previously signalled an impending income tax rise in a speech on 4 November, a move that would have broken a key manifesto pledge.
However, a new forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility offered a reprieve, suggesting the fiscal gap was narrower than expected. Starmer and Reeves seized this opportunity to abandon the tax hike. While politically astute, the reversal was badly handled, making the government appear indecisive and unsettling the markets it sought to reassure.
Long-Term Consequences and the Farage Factor
Ultimately, the week's events have severely weakened Sir Keir Starmer's long-term position. His poll ratings are dire, and his handling of these twin crises has done little to suggest he can turn the situation around. The window for delivering meaningful change on key pledges like 1.5 million new homes or noticeable NHS improvement is closing fast.
This failure to transition from winning elections to competent governance is the central threat to Labour's hopes for a second term. The turmoil of the past week has not only exposed a weak government but has also brought the once-unthinkable prospect of a Nigel Farage premiership a step closer to reality.
