
Keir Starmer Faces Crisis as Labour Teeters on the Edge of Civil War Over Key Policies
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Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure from the leftist factions within his Labor Party following a series of contentious policy decisions. The discontent arose after numerous MPs voted against the Government’s move to cut the Winter Fuel Payment, affecting millions of vulnerable pensioners. This backlash has emboldened left-wing Labor members to push for more significant changes within Starmer’s administration.
Earlier this week, Brian Leishman, the newly elected MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, called on the Government to introduce a wealth tax. This demand comes in the wake of an open letter signed by 30 MPs and peers prior to Rachel Reeves’ tax-hiking budget at the end of last year.
Leishman stated, “The Chancellor has penned herself in a little bit with some of the things she has promised. I speak with parliamentary colleagues and many of them do approve of redistribution through a wealth tax,” highlighting the growing support for redistributive fiscal policies among his colleagues, according to the Express.
The Government’s vulnerability may further increase next week if the Scottish National Party (SNP) successfully pushes a vote on compensation for the Waspi women. The issue has already stirred significant unrest within the Labour ranks. Following Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall’s announcement that the Government would not compensate the Waspi women, several backbench Labour MPs have joined opposition members in expressing their profound dissatisfaction.
The Telegraph reported that a senior activist on the left of the Labour Party commented, “At the moment, there are a lot of disaffected MPs who are not rebelling because of the fear of having the whip removed, but as time goes on more and more people will feel that the risk of not speaking out is greater than the risk of losing the whip.
They will think that they are going to lose their seats anyway, so they might as well speak out and show to their constituents that they do not support some of these unpopular policies. I don’t think we have got there yet, but let’s see what happens if there is a vote on the Waspi women, for example.”
Neil Duncan-Jordan, the Labour MP for Poole, expressed his astonishment on the radical Labour Outlook website, stating that “even those most loyal of Labour MPs were dumbfounded” by the decision to reverse the compensation for Waspi women. He further added, “This decision seriously undermines the public’s trust in politicians,” and noted, “There is a sense with some MPs that this issue is the last straw.”
Adding to the internal strife, Diane Abbott criticized Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, asserting that he could not comprehend the plight of the Waspi women because “he’s on his big fat DPP pension.” The Government’s handling of the Gaza crisis has also sparked discontent among some Labour MPs. Radical left-wing MP Zahra Sultana condemned the Prime Minister for not labeling Israel’s actions against Hamas as genocide.
She stated, “Despite what the Prime Minister says at PMQs, targeting civilians, blocking aid, and destroying survival infrastructure meet the legal criteria of genocide.” These developments indicate a deepening rift within the Labour Party, as left-wing members increasingly challenge Starmer’s leadership and policy direction.
The pressure from within the party highlights the ongoing struggle to balance pragmatic governance with the progressive aspirations of its broader membership. As Starmer navigates these internal challenges, the future cohesion and policy stance of the Labour Party remains uncertain.