Keir Starmer's political career has followed a Shakespearean arc, rising from opposition leader to a landslide election win in July 2024, only to collapse within two years. Historian Anthony Seldon, who has chronicled every prime minister from John Major to Rishi Sunak, argues that Starmer failed on three fronts: he never understood the role of prime minister, lacked a clear economic vision, and made poor appointments. These failures, Seldon suggests, made his downfall inevitable.
Staffers recall that Starmer entered No 10 without a plan to govern. One aide said that after the election victory, there was no blitz of major policies, only the prime minister meeting mayors on a UK tour. The chasm between campaigning and governing was evident, with many questioning whether this was how politics should be conducted. Some blamed Sue Gray, Starmer's chief of staff, for the botched start, while others pointed to Starmer's failure to adapt from opposition to government.
Political scientist David Runciman noted that Labour's victory was assured from the moment Liz Truss appointed Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor in 2022, giving Starmer two years to prepare—time that was wasted. When Gray was replaced by Morgan McSweeney, the change failed to resolve the underlying problem. McSweeney's tenure was marred by the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.
Observers draw parallels between Starmer and Boris Johnson, both of whom repeatedly changed their top teams without addressing the core issue: the prime minister himself. During the Mandelson appointment, Starmer appeared more a figurehead than a decision-maker, rubber-stamping choices made elsewhere. One Labour official noted that while Starmer's habit of devolving authority worked at the Crown Prosecution Service and in opposition, it proved ill-suited to government, leading to inconsistency and conflicting visions among aides.
