2.4 – The ways in which Parliament interacts with the Executive
Recent polling has been poor for Keir Starmer. In fact, some surveys now indicate that he is among the most unpopular Prime Ministers in recorded history. A recent Ipsos poll found that only 13% of Britons were satisfied with his performance, compared with 79% who were dissatisfied, giving him a net approval rating of – 66%. No previous Prime Minister has consistently polled this low over a sustained period.
Despite these numbers which might indicate political weakness, Starmer has continued to enforce strict discipline on his MPs. Last week, Markus Campbell-Savours, the MP for Penrith and Solway, rebelled against the government’s plans to begin taxing inherited farmland from April 2026. Labour intends to reduce the inheritance tax relief available for farms—an especially contentious proposal because farmland is often worth millions of pounds, yet farming margins can be extremely slim. Critics argue that the change would place additional pressure on farmers. Representing a heavily rural constituency, Campbell-Savours has emphasised the impact the policy would have on his constituents. While dozens of Labour MPs abstained, he was the sole MP to vote against the measure, saying he was honouring the commitments he had made locally.
Starmer has been notably consistent in removing the whip from MPs who defy government policy. Recent suspensions include:
July 2025 – Four MPs who voted against welfare reforms.
July 2024 – Seven MPs who voted in favour of abolishing the two-child benefit cap.
Starmer argues that Labour MPs were elected on a shared manifesto, and that rebellions against agreed policies undermine the government’s mandate to deliver on its promises. However, given Labour’s sizeable working majority of 169, the government can withstand substantial internal dissent. It would take at least 85 Labour MPs rebelling simultaneously to defeat the government in a vote. As a result, even without imposing suspensions, Starmer could plausibly reach the end of the Parliament without suffering a single Commons defeat. Nevertheless, he has continued to enforce party discipline whenever rebellions have occurred.