Overview
- Less than two years in, Keir Starmer faces calls from within Labour to quit and is attempting another reset of his No. 10 operation.
- Rising prices are identified by scholars as the chief threat to incumbents, with inflation described as “the killer of governments.”
- Former Downing Street communicators depict a relentless 24/7 media environment and WhatsApp-fueled rebellions that rapidly erode authority.
- Ex-advisers say No. 10 lacks the staff and clout to coordinate Whitehall, while historians point to thinner ministerial experience among recent premiers.
- The Gorton and Denton by-elections and the May local contests are flagged as near-term tests, and one opinion argues an economic upturn plus a fragmented field could still keep Labour in power with Green support.