[ad_1]
Keir Starmer ordered the Labor Party to prepare for the early May 2023 general election as today he vows to “remove his mask” and show the British people why he should be the next prime minister.
After a year as leader, and with some in the party concerned that he has not yet defined a clear personal vision around which to rally MPs and activists, Starmer told the Observer It has been deeply frustrating for him not to be able to meet with voters and campaign across the country. “We have been rebuilding the Labor Party and showing that we are under new leadership,” Starmer said. “But it has been frustrating to spend the first year as a leader without being able to deliver a speech to a live audience or shake the hand of a single voter.”
Now he’s determined to fight Boris Johnson with a new agenda to eradicate economic inequalities, redefine the purpose of public services, and create safe, highly-skilled jobs across the country, fully expecting Johnson to “go early.” and trigger general elections in two years.
“Now I’m looking forward to taking off my mask and opening the throttle. I have instructed the party to be ready for the 2023 elections. The next elections, when they come, will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Britain to work for all, “said Starmer.
The Labor leader is convinced that Johnson is preparing for a May 2023 contest in a short electoral window of opportunity after the economy has seen an expected sharp rebound from the Covid crisis, but before it begins to stabilize. .
The Office of Budget Responsibility recently forecast that economic growth would hit 4% this year, increasing to 7.3% in 2022, before falling to 1.7%, 1.6% and 1.7% in the following three years. .
Johnson will go ahead with legislation to abolish the Fixed Term Parliaments Act of 2011, which created a five-year period between elections and limited the prime minister’s ability to decide when to go to the country, in the Queen’s speech on 11 of May. Labor will back the abolition, although it will allow Johnson to choose the most politically favorable time to hold elections. Starmer told members of his shadow cabinet more than three weeks ago that he wanted to move to a pre-election base, believing that doing so would energize the party and focus minds on five key issues that he wants to define the second phase of his leadership. . There are also fears at the top of the party that Labor could be disappointed in next month’s local elections, potentially raising further doubts about Starmer’s leadership.
A shadow minister said it was vital that the entire party stand behind the leader after an exceptionally difficult year, rather than allow a negative narrative to build up around him. “There is a danger that some people will start saying that he is kind of Theresa May Mark two. That really is not the case. Not only is he a powerful intellectual force, but he’s down to earth and able to connect with voters. We just got to him and sell him more. “
Writing in the Observer Starmer describes his broad thinking, saying that he wants to change the whole purpose of the economy, so it is no longer oriented to short-term shareholder gain, but to place “long-term shared security, fairness, and economic prosperity and social at the heart of decision-making ”.
With an emphasis on “jobs, jobs, jobs,” Starmer’s key themes will include a radical overhaul of the purpose of public services so that its core mission is “preventive” rather than reactive.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth is already examining plans for a wellness law similar to the one operating in New Zealand, where government decisions are judged based on their effect on health, fitness and fitness. future well-being.
Other issues around which he plans to shape an eventual electoral manifesto include the education and vocational training revolution, to ensure the availability of quality jobs in all corners of the country, as well as the devolution of powers and plans to put an end to the “toxic way in which public life is carried out.” ”Promoting a new optimistic patriotism.
While Starmer was credited early in the pandemic with restoring a sense of competence in the leader’s office and his impressive performance on the prime minister’s questions, he and Labor have recently regressed in polls, fueling a sense of frustration. in the match for the foul. progress.
Starmer’s friends say he is fully aware that his party “is not yet close to where it should be.” But they say he believes the prospect of an early general election will set minds on the need to stand together against the conservatives. The Observer understands that Starmer is not planning an imminent reorganization.
While its MPs for the most part remain publicly loyal, some left-wing groups linked to Labor are beginning to express frustration. In an article to mark the end of Starmer’s first year, Neal Lawson, director of the center-left lobby group Compass, which wants Labor to form a progressive alliance with other parties, writes: around Labor. The easy task of not being Jeremy Corbyn was accomplished, but now what? Where are the ideas, alliances and forces not only to win positions but to transform our society? “
This weekend, a poll of conservative activists for the ConservativeHome website shows that nearly 80% of conservative supporters believe the party will be back in government after the next election. The website’s editor, former Congressman Paul Goodman, said he was convinced the elections would come early, in just over two years.
“From the moment Rishi Sunak sat down after his budget speech, I believed that the government’s game plan is a May 2023 election.”
“First, let’s scrap the Fixed Term Act of Parliament. Then expect growth to be higher than expected. If so, postpone the corporate tax hike; in fact, cut some taxes. Finally, hurry to the polls. “
