Chatting with Sky Information' Beth Rigby about three weeks earlier than the final election, when requested about his assist for Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Keir Starmer stated: 'I supported Jeremy Corbyn in 2019 as a result of I assumed he would lose.'
As context, it is going to little doubt be recalled that it is a man who, as quickly as he grew to become chief, rejected the far-left extremism of his predecessor and pledged to purge the celebration of anti-Semitism, as a part of which he suspended Corbyn for anti-Semitic remarks and subsequently refused to let him again into the celebration .
'So what?' It could possibly be stated; Starmer was only a politician! However he’s a person who, by his personal admission, says what he thinks finest serves the second. In different phrases, he says what finest serves his personal pursuits, which may solely undermine his credibility.
So given Labour's current landslide victory, what can we realistically count on from the brand new authorities now? Starmer loudly claimed to have purged the celebration of anti-Semitism and vowed by no means to permit it to take maintain once more. Actually? Within the run-up to the election, the nation noticed an eruption of anger amongst Muslim voters over Labour's obvious “failure” to assist the Palestinians within the Gaza warfare.
Labor has historically relied on the assist of Muslim and different minority teams, who collectively make up about 10 % of its key votes. However this time, native Muslim communities, enraged by what they noticed as a failure to assist Palestinian pursuits, put up their very own candidates for Gaza – and it labored. Not solely was Labour's vote severely eroded throughout the nation in cities the place 10 per cent of the inhabitants determine as Muslim, however Labor truly misplaced 4 of what had till then been thought of “secure” seats.
A worrying growth any means you take a look at it, and Starmer's response was swift. From preserving Israel's proper to defend itself in opposition to Hamas aggression, he has begun calling for an instantaneous and everlasting ceasefire and is reportedly now contemplating recognizing Palestine as an impartial state, even when the US and Israel don’t.
The shift in emphasis was bolstered by a number of ministerial appointments of the brand new authorities, akin to that of Shabana Mahmood as Lord Chancellor and Minister for Justice. Ms Mahmood is just not solely a brand new MP, but additionally a vehement supporter of Palestine, who’s dedicated to rebuilding relations with Muslim voters.
After all, Starmer's spouse is Jewish and one hopes she’s going to proceed her anti-Semitism inside Labor – however in distinction the Prime Minister is now additionally making an attempt to win again the Muslim vote, and it may not be unreasonable to say: watch this house.
Different insurance policies now rising unrelated to Palestine appear to point a equally ambiguous method. For instance, Bridget Phillipson, the brand new Secretary of State for Schooling and Minister for Girls and Equalities, has made a lot of her dedication to tackle 6,500 new lecturers and put schooling again on the high of the agenda. However she has additionally expressed assist for transgender rights and refused to decide to implementing new pointers put ahead by the final authorities to ban scientifically inaccurate and damaging gender identification educating in faculties. It has beforehand been famous that trans-women with penises are allowed to make use of female-only areas, and is a supporter of trans rights.
This method is shared by Anneliese Dobbs, the newly appointed Minister of State for Girls and Equalities, who will little doubt work carefully with Ms Phillipson to ship on Labour's dedication to “modernise, simplify and reform the intrusive and outdated Gender Recognition Act to a brand new course of”. Regardless of protests from Christian and ladies's teams, each are collectively charged with overseeing the implementation of a complete trans-inclusive ban on conversion remedy.
There are comparable considerations about Labour's stance on pro-life points. Starmer has already pledged to assist the legalization of assisted 'dying' and reaffirmed his promise to permit a free vote when the anticipated invoice involves parliament. And whereas one in three girls within the UK assist decreasing the present abortion time restrict, it appears we are able to count on the same method to legalizing abortion up till start. Diana Johnson, who earlier this yr tried to hijack the Felony Justice Act to introduce amendments that will permit abortion up till start and sex-selective abortion, has now been appointed Residence Secretary and can little doubt use her place to deliver ahead the proposal in some unspecified time in the future . new legislative proposals to make the killing of the unborn an inalienable “human proper”.
To high all of it off, it now emerges that half of the Cupboard, together with Sir Keir himself, are apparently atheists, and together with 40 per cent of their colleagues, selected to make a secular assertion as an alternative of taking a non secular oath once they had been sworn in. to the Home of Commons. After all they’ve the appropriate to take action. Nevertheless, as reported in The Occasions, we have now simply elected essentially the most godless parliament in our historical past.
However what concerning the financial system and nationwide protection? Labor pledged in its manifesto to not elevate earnings tax or nationwide insurance coverage, however the Institute for Fiscal Research (IFS) stated the brand new authorities can be compelled to both reduce spending or elevate taxes to satisfy its fiscal targets. As a part of this, there are already rumors of a tax on state pensions, a rise in capital beneficial properties tax and the introduction of a “wealth” tax. There are additionally plans to tax personal faculties and it already appears like many can be compelled to shut. So was the federal government utterly trustworthy and what extra ought to we count on?
There are additionally nationwide protection considerations. Army analysts are warning that we face a world state of affairs the place warfare could possibly be imminent – for which the UK is just not ready. To counter the risk, Starmer launched a significant overhaul of the army and pledged to extend protection spending to 2.5 %. That's all nicely and good, however he hasn't given an implementation date or timeline but.
After the election, some spoke enthusiastically of a brand new starting and a way of hope. However within the present cultural local weather, such optimism appears misplaced. Our new authorities is secularist and can push a far-left agenda that may little doubt deliver challenges. Christians ought to put together themselves.