On 4 January 2023, Keir Starmer, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party in the UK, accused the ruling Conservative Party of leading the country to collapse and despair during their 14-year rule and called for early elections for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Starmer aims to bring his left-wing ideological party, which has not been in power since 2010, back to power in an election to be held by 2025 at the latest.[i]
Polls show that Labour is ahead of Sunak’s Conservative Party. The Conservative Party has changed three prime ministers in the last 18 months during a period of economic problems and ethics scandals. However, Starmer warns his party against complacency and tries to awaken despairing voters from their despair.[ii]
Most people “agree that Britain needs change, but confidence in politics remains very low,” he said. “Don’t listen when they say we are the same. We are not the same and we never will be,” he said, adding that voters could choose between “continued decline with the Conservatives or national renewal with Labour”.[iii]
With inflation still high and the economy barely growing, Labour has refrained from making fiscal promises. Starmer stated that Labour aims to cut taxes, but that getting the economy to grow is a top priority. Starmer also stressed that Labour’s pledge to invest £28 billion a year in green projects by 2030 was dependent on the state of public finances.[iv]
The 61-year-old politician took an important step by adopting the CV used against him by his rivals. Starmer is a former human rights lawyer and former head of the national prosecution service. He says that these roles gave him an understanding of “justice and public service and the serious responsibility of government”. On the other hand, Starmer has called on Sunak to start his election campaign. In October 2022, Sunak, who became prime minister in an internal leadership contest, showed no intention of calling early elections. Sunak has the authority to declare elections at any time before the election deadline.
The difficulties, economic stagnation and ethical scandals faced by the Conservative government in a period of three different prime ministers in the last 14 years have increased the criticism of Labour Leader Starmer. Conservative leader Sunak decided not to rush for an early election and endeavoured to further develop his policy.
Starmer, who opposed reasonable tax cuts and spending increases, prioritised the revitalisation of the economy. This approach offers voters a choice between “national renewal with the Conservatives or Labour with continued decline”. By promising to manage the economy well and reduce taxes, Sunak emphasises that he is trying to overcome the economic stalemate before the election. However, the high inflation and low economic growth reveal the difficulties faced by the Conservative government. Sunak’s immigration policy has also dominated the election agenda. Britain’s political landscape has reached a crossroads amidst the rivalry between the Labour and Conservative governments. Keir Starmer’s and Rishi Sunak’s economic policies will be important factors in determining voters’ choices.
[i] “With 2024 Being a UK Election Year, the Opposition Wants an Early Vote. PM Rishi Sunak is in no Rush”, Associated Press News, https://apnews.com/article/uk-election-labour-party-starmer-sunak-2dc74d6ef3624958756b10ce0319aab1, (Erişim Tarihi: 05.01.2024).
[ii] Ibıd.
[iii] Ibıd.
[iv] Ibıd.
