Having just won a huge majority, you can expect Labor members to pull their resolve in the same direction to implement their political agenda.
However, the first cracks have appeared in the unity of the party.
On the election trail, Sir Keir Starmer assured voters they would not break the bank with reckless spending.
He promised to protect the country’s finances by adhering to strict fiscal restrictions.
The problem is that many Labor MPs don’t care about that responsibility – they just want to raid the public purse.
Sir Keir Starmer held his first press conference as Prime Minister since his ‘loveless’ landslide victory which saw Labor walk away with 412 out of 650 seats.
The new British leader and his wife – Lady Victoria Starmer – were all smiles as they smiled at the public before entering the 10th on July 5.
So the Prime Minister’s decision not to immediately remove the two-child benefit cap has brought predictable hysteria from the Left.
This Coalition-era policy limited Universal Credit to the first two children of a family. While voters overwhelmingly supported the measure, some blamed poor families.
One Labor MP melodramatically said the policy amounted to ‘social cleansing’.
This gave Sir Keir a headache. Last night, after the first rebellion in the office of prime minister, he removed the whip from the seven rebels who voted for the hat to be thrown away.
They have given you a choice as a straight moral choice – break the bounds and show you care, or stay and show you don’t. This caricature of the problem is harsh and unfair.
Everyone wants to reduce child poverty. But we can’t afford to add billions to our astronomical welfare bill.
No one is arguing that parents should not have more than two children. But, if they choose, why should taxpayers pay for it?
The cap provides an incentive for people to find work. The best way to reduce child poverty is through wages, not welfare dependency.
Sir Keir has shown an annoying tendency to cave in the face of difficulty or discontent. If the benefits of the rebellion grow, they must continue to face it.
The couple were applauded by staff as they made their way up the stairs to the historic Downing Street building
I am a Labor cynic
Another day, another cynical attempt by Labor to suggest the Tories are leaving the country in a worse state than it really is.
This time, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has warned of the ‘bad legacy’ it is leaving.
Yes, millions are chronically ill. But the unemployment rate has halved since Gordon Brown left office in 2010.
Kendall has taken the lead from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has insisted that the Government is facing its worst economic situation since World War II – a claim that is patently false.
Labor is trying to set in stone the narrative that the Tories have ruined the nation.
But voters are not stupid. And he was quick to condemn the politicians who lied to him.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves arrives at 10 Downing Street, following the election results, on 5 July 2024
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall leaves Downing Street after attending a Cabinet meeting on July 16
Big BBC turn-off
The BBC’s annual report revealed half a million households canceled license fees last year.
If people killed them, it might surprise the Corporation executives, but to everyone else, it was obvious why.
Broadcasters are increasingly out of touch with their core audience, which represents a metropolitan elite that is independent and implements a liberal agenda far removed from the reality of life.
BBC director-general Tim Davie is the highest-paid executive, but his pay has not increased this year
New talent pay figures released today show that 62-year-old Huw Edwards will see his salary increase from up to £439,999 to £479,999 in the year ending April 2024.
Meanwhile, director-general Tim Davie described the colossal pay packets handed out to BBC stars (including disgraced presenter Huw Edwards) as ‘absolutely fair’.
Hard-pressed viewers, forced to endure the pain of demanding to pay £169.50 a year for a TV licence, may see it as a kick in the teeth.
