1.2.2 – Established parties
When Keir Starmer steps down as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party, he will bring to an end his six-year tenure as party leader. The significance of this period, particularly the years 2020-2024 cannot be overstated, and was crucial for changing the ideological position and trajectory of the party.
Starmer became the Leader of the Labour Party on 4 April 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The leadership had become vacant following the resignation of Jeremy Corbyn in the aftermath of the 2019 UK General Election, where the party lost 60 seats, enabling the Conservatives to secure an overall majority.
Corbyn’s leadership of the party had been highly divisive. Whilst the party had made gains at the snap 2017 election, the party was bitterly divided, with the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) largely against Corbyn as leader. The party had been riven by accusations of antisemitism, and Corbyn’s indecisiveness was seen by many to be the cause of many of Labour’s problems, especially with regard to the party’s stance on Brexit.
Starmer, who had only been elected as an MP in 2015, was widely considered to be the favourite to win the subsequent leadership contest, and was elected on the first count with 56.2% of the vote, defeating Lisa Nandy (14.6%) and the left’s preferred candidate, Rebecca Long-Bailey (29.3%).
Under Corbyn, the party had shifted significantly to the left, with his faction having influence over the National Executive Committee (NEC), and close allies in key positions within the party. However, once Starmer took control, the party began shifting towards the centre ground, particularly with a more conservative tone on issues such as illegal immigration and small-boat crossings. This would cause Starmer some difficulties with the party’s main donors in the trade union movement.
Perhaps the most significant area of Starmer’s leadership came on the issue of antisemitism. A report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission highlighted the scale of the problem during the Corbyn years, stating:
“This report thoroughly disproves any suggestion that antisemitism is not a problem in the party, or that it is all a smear or a witch-hunt. The report’s findings prove the scale of the problem and could help end the denialism amongst parts of the party membership which has further hurt Jewish members and the Jewish community.”
Whilst Starmer was issuing full-throated apologies to Labour’s Jewish members, Jeremy Corbyn disputed some of the findings of the report. He was subsequently suspended from the party that he had been the leader of less than a year earlier. He would never regain the Labour whip. This was seen by many as Starmer’s way of demonstrating that Labour had turned a corner on the issue of antisemitism.
Having initially promised Labour’s cooperation during the pandemic, he became increasingly critical of the Government’s handling of things. However, repeated changes to Labour’s position on lockdowns led to him being referred to as a ‘flip flop’ by Boris Johnson. However, it would be Johnson’s dishonesty – often extracted at the dispatch box in response to questions from Starmer – that would change the course of British politics. Revelations over Partygate saw Johnson’s credibility decline, and with it a rise in the opinion polls for Labour. In December 2021, Labour overtook the Conservatives in the polls, which is how it would remain until after the 2024 General Election.
Three Conservative prime ministers in less than two months contributed to the perception that the party could no longer be trusted to govern, and with an election due within two years, it felt as if Starmer and his team could start to prepare for government. The near certainty of victory in 2024 contributed to the ‘Ming vase strategy’, where Labour sought not to rock the boat and say or do anything controversial.
As the election drew closer, support for Labour did begin to drop off slightly. This was due in part to a rise in support for Reform, but also from disquiet on the left of the party unhappy with Starmer’s unequivocal support for Israel following the 7 October attacks in 2023. This led to the party losing voters – and members – to the Greens and to pro-Gaza independents.
The feeling that a Labour victory was inevitable meant that more attention was being paid to Labour’s frontbench, with offers of tickets and other gifts in attempts to gain favour. Attempts to improve the image of Starmer would also be reported upon, with items such as new glasses and clothes being purchased on his behalf by party donor Lord Alli. This would prove to be of great embarrassment to the party once the Register of Members’ Interests was published, giving birth to the term ‘freebiegate’.
Despite the difficulties, Starmer’s place in Labour’s history is secured. The party’s 174-seat majority is second only to Tony Blair’s achievements. The last time Labour was in a comparable position to the one Starmer inherited was in the aftermath of the 1983 election defeat. It would take 14 years and three leaders to make the party electable again. Starmer achieved something similar – albeit with the help of a wayward Conservative Party – in just four years.
Whilst Starmer would go on to show he had a number of weaknesses and limitations as a prime minister, as a party leader he deserves a lot of credit for ensuring that Labour was able to function as an effective opposition during the period 2020-24, and present itself to the electorate as a credible alternative government. If the next leader of the Labour Party is able to improve their standing with the electorate, it will be because they have started on much firmer foundations than the party had the morning after the December 2019 election.