Keir Starmer, who pulled the Labour Party back from the brink of radicalism and led it to victory ending the party’s 14 years in the political wilderness, is now set to become Britain’s 58th prime minister. The crushing defeat for the Conservative Party of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak follows 14 eventful years in power in which they not only led the country out of the European Union, weathered the Covid pandemic, and sought to fashion a new position for the country in the world beyond continental ties, but also suffered a string of controversies, frequent leadership changes and major internal divisions. Presiding over a decade or more of economic stagnation and social neglect also led to the outcome.
The Conservatives saw five prime ministers, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Elizabeth Truss, and Sunak, the last three in the last term marked by vicious in-fighting, with Truss holding office for only 49 days. Labour on the other hand will be returning to power after its defeat in 2010 under Gordon Brown ending the party’s 13-year streak in power that had begun under Tony Blair in 2007. Time will show whether the result was actually a Labour victory or a Conservative defeat, though it must be considered that the loathing for the present dispensation and enthusiasm for the available alternative are not evenly matched.
It also has to be seen how the Labour Party will do in power, but the course and results of the elections throw up certain instructive points – though it is debatable if they are long-term in nature or linked to this particular electoral cycle. Economic situation and living standards remain overriding public concern. The Conservatives presided over a decade and more of economic morass where not only incomes remained stagnant amid rising inflation, leading to standards of living dipping, but productivity declined too. Previous Prime Minister David Cameron’s austerity programme and the lowered social spending it entailed, and then, Brexit were choices. By the time Sunak promised the country was turning the corner, the damage had been done.
Although the current House of Commons term ran till December, Sunak called early elections in the face of mounting problems for the party and the country. Sunak mostly failed to live up to the voters’ expectations in the confluence of adversities. Now, Starmer has the momentous task of steering the country through the economic and administrative morass. But a difficult task looms ahead in dealing with illegal immigration, an issue of major concern which contributed to the Conservative poor performance because of the surprising showing by the upstart Reform Party, a reincarnation of the Brexit Party now with an anti-immigration platform. The popular sentiment against illegal immigration is at odds with many in the Labour Party.
