Portrait of Keir Starmer
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Keir Starmer on General Election

2024 Election Victor (strong)

Keir Starmer focused heavily on preparing the Labour Party for the 2024 general election after becoming Leader in 2020. His approach involved shifting the party towards the political centre and emphasizing stability, contrasting with the preceding Conservative governments' perceived chaos.

Throughout his time as Leader of the Opposition, Starmer emphasized core themes like tackling the cost of living, improving the NHS, and enacting constitutional reform, which formed the backbone of the Labour manifesto, Change.

Starmer successfully led Labour to a landslide victory on 4 July 2024, securing a 174-seat simple majority. Despite this large win, the Labour vote share of 34% was the lowest for any post-war majority government, leading to discussions about the electoral system.

Context

As the Leader of the Labour Party since 2020, Keir Starmer was the central figure driving the party's strategy and platform for the 2024 general election. His authority meant that his positioning directly defined the party's offer to voters after 14 years in opposition.

His tenure as Opposition Leader was marked by a conscious effort to move Labour away from the left-wing policies associated with his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, which Starmer believed were electorally untenable.

Timeline

  1. As Shadow Brexit Secretary, Starmer supported a proposed Second Referendum on Brexit and questioned the government's direction outside the EU.
  2. Starmer distanced himself from the Labour manifesto from the 2019 election defeat, stating he was 'certain that we would lose the 2019 election'.
  3. During his leadership bid, Starmer ran on a left-wing platform, pledging to continue Labour's anti-austerity stance and support common ownership of utilities.
  4. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the election date of 4 July 2024, with Labour holding a significant lead in the preceding polls.
  5. Starmer led Labour to a landslide general election win, securing a majority government.

Actions Taken

  1. Leadership Bid
    Announced his candidacy for the Labour leadership, beginning the process of repositioning the party for an election.
  2. Leadership Win
    Won the Labour leadership contest, formalizing his position as the party's prospective Prime Minister for the next general election.
  3. Reshuffled his Shadow Cabinet, promoting 'Blairites' and moving away from the Left flank of the party to appeal to a broader electorate ahead of the election.
  4. Released the Labour Party's 2024 general election manifesto, Change, which detailed pledges on economic growth, planning, energy, and workers' rights.
  5. Election Victory
    Led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the General Election, becoming Prime Minister on 5 July 2024.

Key Quotes

We said we would end the chaos and we will. We said we would turn the page and we have. Today we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country.

Victory Speech July 5, 2024 — Said immediately following the 2024 General Election victory.

whether you voted for me or not I will represent you, I will listen to you and I will bring our party together.

Acceptance Speech April 4, 2020 — Stated upon being elected Leader of the Labour Party.

Related Positions

  • Constitutional Reform Starmer pledged to reform the House of Lords, replacing it with a 'more representative' body, a key part of his platform for national renewal.
  • Economic Policy The election platform centered on economic growth and investment, underpinned by fiscal rules that led to abandoning some 2020 pledges.

Comparison

  • Predecessor (Jeremy Corbyn): Starmer repositioned the party towards the political centre, abandoning some of the more left-wing policies, such as scrapping tuition fees, that characterized the Corbyn era, which Starmer believed contributed to the 2019 election loss.
  • 2024 Manifesto Pledges: While running on a left-leaning platform in 2020, by the 2024 election, Starmer's manifesto emphasized 'pro-business and pro-worker' policies and pledged no increases to Income Tax, National Insurance, or VAT, marking a pragmatic shift to secure a majority.
  • Mandate vs. Vote Share: The victory was characterized as a 'loveless landslide,' as Labour achieved a large seat majority (411 seats) but with the smallest vote share (34%) of any post-war majority government.