The Most Unprincipled British Government Ever

This past week, the 58th prime minister of the United Kingdom decided that a national inquiry into the pakistani rape gangs that have ravaged their way through England’s towns and cities might actually be a responsible policy to enact. A few days prior to this, news broke of seven men being found guilty of sexually molesting two teenage girls in Rochdale over a five year period. Another example includes the gaoling of six men in late April of this year, from Greater Manchester, for sexual exploitation of similar ilk. Cases like this are now unfortunately a commonality in Britain's once fabled highstreets. These are two examples of hundreds, if not - and most likely - thousands from up and down the country in which egregious and heinous acts of predatory evil are becoming an accepted triviality. 

Alas, Starmer, the former director of public prosecutions from 2008-2013, was initially reluctant to enable such a government investigation to take place. Back in January, following pressure online from Elon Musk, Starmer repudiated the claims that he had been ‘complicit’ in the cover-up of the national scandal. In fact, the issue was even taken to parliament to bring forward the Children’s Wellbeing Bill but, in it being a uniparty dominated chamber, was of course voted down by 364 to 111. 

So, only now does the PM bring forward a national investigation following a new report by Baroness Casey detailing apparent new evidence. "I think that's the right thing to do, on the basis of what she has put in her audit.” Starmer opined. Yet, it was Starmer who rejected the grooming gang inquiry back in January because it was “jumping on the far-right bandwagon”. See for yourself:

Is Mr. Starmer now far-right? It also begs the question: what could’ve possibly pushed him over the edge? It is likely that whatever was shown to him in that audit presented the prime minister with the kinds of cases that many have been trying to bring to light for years. The move is undoubtedly a case of bowing to growing concerns and, more than anything, it highlights the kind of politician that he is: ideologically weak and unprincipled.

But of course, it isn’t just the recent rape gang fiasco that has the government backtracking. Rachel Reeves made the announcement last week that the winter fuel allowance will return for over 75% of geriatrics, following overwhelming public disapproval, expressed from even many within the Labour party. The cut was initially brought forward to save government money, due to the whateverbillion ‘black-hole’ that the previous Conservative government left. Now they are u-turning - succumbing to the pressure from both the public and party members. Again: what the hell happened to principle? If the government wants to save money - save money. Tough times require tough decisions, not this kind of flimsy, ideologically malleable smorgasbord of nothingness. The black hole of ideas, not least the black hole in public finances, seems to be evident in the halls of Westminster.

Yet, it would have been, arguably, a stronger position from Labour to stick to their decisions made in the infancy of their government. Starmer’s decisions to backload the plethora of financially difficult and unpopular policies seemed ostensibly clever. For, come 2028, closer to the time of the next general election, his party could’ve actually pointed to some amelioration and improvement of the UK economy (possibly). The tax rises brought forward in the first few years could be eased and potentially, job growth, over the time of their governance, could be up. But with all of this u-turning, this Labour government is proving to be made up of some of the most feckless and unprincipled bunch of career politicians Whitehall has ever seen. And that’s saying something given the last thirty years of year-on-year decline up and down the country.

More worryingly for the Starmer possé, a plethora of government back-tracking makes them seem feeble in the eyes of the electorate. If government finances continue to spiral downward as they have been so far, they will reap at the ballot box in 2029 what they have been sowing so far in power. And if the government’s backpedaling on major issues continues like they have been, it’s gonna be much earlier than 2029 when Labour are thrown out of office by the British public.