Starmer’s Policy U-Turns won’t win back lost voters doubts as Leadership Pressure Mounts

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Starmer’s Policy U-Turns Spark Doubts as Leadership Pressure Mounts

 

Sir Keir Starmer is facing increasing scrutiny as political analysts and polling experts warn that a series of high-profile policy reversals may do little to rescue his slipping approval ratings—or to reassure a restless Labour Party. The Prime Minister’s recent U-turn on cuts to the winter fuel payment, and potential reconsideration of the two-child benefit cap, have sparked concerns that rather than projecting strength, such moves could make him appear “insecure” and vulnerable to a leadership challenge.

 

Sir John Curtice, one of the UK’s most respected polling experts, cautioned that these kinds of climbdowns, even if popular, often linger in the public’s memory. “These things stick in the memory – so you can change the policy now and you can probably reduce the damage, but it’s difficult to erase some people’s memory,” he told The Independent. The winter fuel payment reversal—announced last week—saw Starmer tell the Commons he would reconsider the threshold at which the benefit is received, backtracking on a controversial decision made just last year to means-test the payment.

 

Curtice's assessment underscores a broader unease within Labour ranks. Ten months after Labour’s historic general election win, Sir Keir now finds himself battling declining voter enthusiasm, rebellion from MPs over welfare reforms, and the rise of Reform UK. More than 150 Labour MPs are reportedly preparing to vote against government plans to uphold the two-child benefit cap. The policy, which prevents families from claiming benefits for more than two children, has been blamed for pushing up to 100 children a day into poverty.

 

Now, with Starmer reportedly contemplating scrapping the cap entirely—saying it may be “the right thing to do”—he risks further backlash. Not least because the policy, as Sir John notes, remains “relatively popular among voters.” “It’s not what you would choose to do if you were really focused on why you were behind in the opinion polls,” he added. Starmer previously took a hard line on the issue, stripping seven MPs of the Labour whip last year after they defied the party to back an SNP motion to end the cap. Reversing course now would not only mark a major policy shift but could also expose him to accusations of inconsistency.

 

Lord Hayward, a Conservative peer and polling expert, echoed the warning. “The big risk is that any government that reverses a headline policy – which clearly they have done on winter fuel allowance – immediately does two things,” he said. “One, it leaves itself open for more bids for the reversals of policy, and secondly, it is a display of insecurity which automatically gives rise to talk about the replacement of a leader.” He added that while “you can afford to reverse the odd policy, you can’t afford to reverse lots of them. So he has to be clear about where he goes from here.”

 

The growing threat from Reform UK only adds to the pressure. Nigel Farage is reportedly preparing to promise the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap and the full reinstatement of the winter fuel payment, directly outflanking Labour on welfare. After Reform’s surprising electoral success—including winning 677 council seats and flipping the Labour-held Runcorn and Helsby seat—Labour’s vulnerabilities are becoming increasingly exposed. Starmer’s party lost two-thirds of the council seats it gained in 2021 and now trails Reform in key polling indicators.

 

When asked by Laura Kuenssberg whether the cap would be officially scrapped, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner declined to confirm. “I’m not going to speculate on what our government is going to do,” she said. Yet Sir John Curtice believes the indecision reflects deeper anxieties within Labour. “The authority of prime ministers rests very heavily on their being thought to be a winner for their party,” he noted. “The problem that Starmer now has is that doubts have crept into [Labour MPs’] minds as to whether or not...he is going to be a winner in 2029.”

 

As Starmer navigates a volatile political landscape, marked by rebellion within and competitive threats without, the question remains: can policy reversals alone steady his leadership—or will they only deepen the sense of instability surrounding it?

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Independent  2025-05-27

 

 

[The Cyclist]

We are fast approaching the point where he is diagnosed with an imaginary illness, and he will have to step down with immediate effect.

 

Of course it won't be anything to do with the 2 male Escorts / Models and their Pimp, who are currently under arrest for arson.

 

Arson is usually personal, which makes the charges under terrorism seem rather odd.

 

But does allow D Notices to be thrown about like confetti, and the relative silence is rather telling.

[JonnyF]

Starmer just showing everyone what a weak man and a poor leader he is.

 

He stands for nothing. No principles. No convictions. Just a desire for power. 

[DaveBart]

Starmer is a traitor to our country,he wants to be loved by the EU

[BritManToo]

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Just a desire for power. 

........ and Romanian rent boys ...........

[JonnyF]

5 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

........ and Romanian rent boys ...........

 

Now Now - they were "models" 😆.

[JAG]

6 hours ago, The Cyclist said:

We are fast approaching the point where he is diagnosed with an imaginary illness, and he will have to step down with immediate effect.

 

Of course it won't be anything to do with the 2 male Escorts / Models and their Pimp, who are currently under arrest for arson.

 

Arson is usually personal, which makes the charges under terrorism seem rather odd.

 

But does allow D Notices to be thrown about like confetti, and the relative silence is rather telling.

What is the saying: "no smoke without fire"?

[The Cyclist]

19 minutes ago, JAG said:

What is the saying: "no smoke without fire"?

 

That's the one, although in this case there was fire, 3 fires to be exact.

 

Arson attacks are generally personal, so......

[RayC]

1 hour ago, JAG said:

What is the saying: "no smoke without fire"?

 

1 hour ago, The Cyclist said:

 

That's the one, although in this case there was fire, 3 fires to be exact.

 

Arson attacks are generally personal, so......

 

Or alternatively,

 

All crows are black

Crows are birds

Therefore all birds are black

[Andycoops]

Complete shambles from the start, having had 14 years to get it right they are shooting themselves in both feet at the same time.