According to Bloomberg Business, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing historically low opinion-poll ratings and a grumpy mood about his leadership, dubbed “Never here Keir” for his foreign trips. His main rival, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, is increasingly likely to challenge for leadership, especially if Labour takes a hammering in May’s elections across Scotland, Wales, and English local authorities. Starmer’s domestic troubles include a revolt from his own backbenchers over plans to limit jury trials, water down online safety protections, and limit child mental health certifications. This week, he was forced to withdraw the Hillsborough law after failing to win support for a controversial amendment related to MI5 and MI6 oversight. The article draws a direct parallel to Labour PM James Callaghan’s infamous “Crisis. What crisis?” moment in 1979, which led to the Winter of Discontent and a long Tory rule.
Foreign Trips, Domestic Slips
Here’s the thing about being a world leader: the cameras love a summit. But your voters live in the real world of potholes and waiting lists. Starmer is learning this the hard way. He’s getting praise abroad for standing up to Trump’s NATO comments, which is fine. But it’s a bit like polishing the brass on the Titanic while the engine room is flooding. His MPs are in open revolt on multiple domestic fronts, and that’s a way bigger threat than any diplomatic slight. The comparison to 1979 isn’t subtle—it’s a flashing red warning light for any Labour leader. Ignore the home front at your absolute peril.
The Burnham Problem
So Andy Burnham is circling. That’s the real story. Starmer has a massive parliamentary majority, but he can’t command loyalty. Burnham, the “King of the North,” represents a direct threat because he embodies the soft-left sentiment of the party that just wants to spend money. He gives the bond markets “the shivers,” as Bloomberg puts it, but he gives restless backbenchers a hero. If May’s local elections go badly, that platform becomes a launchpad. Starmer staying away from Davos to “focus on the home front” isn’t a choice anymore—it’s a survival tactic. But is it too little, too late?
A Government of U-Turns
Look at the Hillsborough law mess. This was supposed to be a slam-dunk, a moral imperative born from tragedy. And Starmer couldn’t even get that across the line without a crippling amendment that would’ve gutted it. He had to withdraw the whole bill. That’s not leadership; it’s chaos. It’s emblematic of the dithering and inconsistency that’s whittling away his authority. When you can’t rally your troops on something this universally respected, what can you rally them on? It makes every other policy fight look winnable for the rebels.
The Populist Parallel
And it’s not just Starmer. The article makes a sharp point about Nigel Farage doing the same dance. He used to mock Davos as a globalist talking shop, but now he’s there for “brand enhancement.” He’s trying to look worldly while reassuring domestic voters he can be trusted on the economy. It’s the same rule playing out across the spectrum: all politics is local, even when you’re posing in the Alps. For Starmer, the local politics is a mutiny in his own ranks. He showed backbone condemning Trump. But can he show it in the House of Commons against his own party? That’s the test. If he doesn’t, history has a nasty habit of repeating itself.
