Starmer promised "change" and somehow managed to deliver a slightly different version of the same disappointment. In less than two years we've had tax rises on businesses, attacks on winter fuel payments, welfare reform chaos, farming inheritance tax rows, endless U-turns, falling popularity, and an economy still struggling to find second gear. He's managed the rare achievement of upsetting pensioners, farmers, businesses, trade unions, the left, the right, and quite a few of his own MPs all at the same time. The government's idea of leadership often seems to be announcing a policy on Monday, defending it on Tuesday, reconsidering it on Wednesday, and quietly abandoning it by Friday. We were promised bold change after 14 years of Conservative rule. What we've got is higher taxes, lower expectations, and a masterclass in how to turn a landslide victory into a political headache.
