Promise of Change Nowhere to be Seen
The SNP have said the first 100 days of the UK Labour government is destined to be remembered for two things – “free suits for Keir Starmer and winter fuel cuts for millions of pensioners“.
SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn MP said that although Westminster sets a “very low bar for success“, Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has managed to make one of the “worst starts to a newly elected government in history“.
Those first 100 days have included:
- Imposing austerity cuts including the removal of the winter fuel payment – hitting nearly 900,000 Scottish pensioners.
- Pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty by refusing to scrap the two child limit, bedroom tax and benefit cap.
- Halting hospital and road building programmes and signalling the UK budget will continue the Tory policy of austerity cuts to vital public services.
- The disclosure of gifts to Sir Keir Starmer from Lord Alli – including thousands of pounds for free designer suits and glasses – and the decision to give Lord Alli a Downing Street pass.
- The sacking of Sue Gray following chaos in the Downing Street political operation.
During this period Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have fallen 44 points since July and the Labour Party’s lead has evaporated to just one percentage point ahead of the Tories.
YouGov polling, published on 7th October, found Keir Starmer is now seen as ‘sleazier’ than Rishi Sunak, and the Labour government has a minus 51 approval rating in Scotland – down 45 points since July – with two thirds of Scots (64%) disapproving of Labour’s record and just 13% approving.
Separately, an Opinium Poll for the Observer, published on 29th September, found a majority of voters (57%) think the Labour government is ‘worse’ or ‘about the same’ as the last Tory government, and a plurality of voters (45%) think it is ‘out of touch’ with ordinary people.
Polling by Survation for the Times additionally found that a majority of Scots (56%) do not think the Labour government is “acting in the best interests of Scotland” – while just 15% do. A majority (51%) opposed Labour’s cuts to winter fuel payments, and almost half of Labour voters in Scotland (44%) think Keir Starmer’s government has “failed to meet expectations”.