Keir Starmer under pressure as Labour leader faces internal challenge to leadership
Keir Starmer facing ‘difficult problems’ says political insider
Sky’s political correspondent Kate McCann was discussing Sir Keir Starmer’s prospects in the upcoming local elections in May. Ms McCann insisted that the Labour Party leader had not yet shown he was able to “bring people back” to the party following the heavy election defeat to Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in 2019. She added that Labour “do have some pretty difficult problems domestically” and these were starting to put pressure on the opposition leader.
She told Sky News: “They do have some pretty difficult problems domestically.
“Keir Starmer, you know his reputation is being questioned by those inside and outside the party.
“Yes we are in a pandemic, yes, of course, that is the main focus of both parties.
‘But he also a relatively new leader taking over from someone who had made quite a big impact.”
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“The expectation was that Sir Keir Starmer would be able to bring people back to the party,” continued Ms McCann.
“The question is can he.”
It comes as Sir Starmer faces damning new opinion poll results which show Labour trailing the Tories following a string of embarrassments for the opposition leader.
New data gathered by Number Cruncher Politics UK for ITV’s Peston shows Boris Johnson’s party powering ahead, having jumped by four points in two months.
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The Conservative were on 43 percent, ahead of Labour on 37 percent – an indication the Prime Minister’s speedy rollout of the Covid vaccine programme could help the party’s performance at the ballot box.
The results gathered from January 25 to February 1 showed no change in support for Labour since a similar poll was conducted in late November.
This week brought a spate of hiccups to Sir Keir’s agenda which left him red-faced and forced to apologise.
His 24 hours to forget kicked off when the Guardian leaked his transparent plans to rebrand Labour as a party of patriots.
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The newspaper on Tuesday revealed details contained in an internal strategy presentation which showed Sir Keir’s desperate plan to win back voters.
The leadership proposed “use of the [union] flag, veterans [and] dressing smartly” as part of a plan to rebrand the left-wing group as more patriotic.
Labour’s head of research claimed voters were confused about “what we stand for, and what our purpose is, but also who we represent”.
Comments gathered from focus groups which were included in the presentation pointed to Sir Keir’s indecisiveness on key issues.
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