UK: Labour on the rise?
The Conservative government's announced economic package, with tax cuts for the rich, and the ensuing plunge in the British pound's exchange rate have boosted the popularity of opposition party Labour, which now leads the polls by 17 percentage points. At the annual Labour Party convention its leader Keir Starmer said he was confident about the prospects for victory. The press is divided.
Starmer is on the right track
The Labour leader is finally coming into his own, says The Times:
“Becoming a party of government requires not only purging the far left, but being willing to think radically about reforming the NHS, targeting welfare spending more effectively and removing distortionary effects in the tax system. Sir Keir has by no means enthused voters, in the way that Sir Tony Blair did after a long period of Tory government, but he has made Labour a serious contender once more. He should concentrate on maintaining a reputation for capability, decency and attention to policy detail. There is no other way for Labour to gain the trust of the electorate.”
Nothing new on the left
The party hasn't changed one bit under Keir Starmer, The Daily Telegraph sighs:
“Labour remains a party that is suspicious of wealth creation, envious of the rich and willing still to believe that industries work better in the hands of the state. A class warrior unpleasantness lurks just below the surface ... [Starmer's ] speech was full of things that Labour delegates love to hear, such as more spending on public services, but very little that addressed the reforms needed to pull the economy out of its unproductive, hide-bound rut.”