British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to deliver a somber speech on Tuesday, where he will warn the nation to prepare for “unpopular decisions” ahead. The Labour leader is also expected to lay blame on the previous Conservative government for the state of the country, as revealed in his prepared remarks shared with the British media.
Starmer’s forthcoming keynote speech, which will be his first since assuming office in July, will emphasize that his administration “inherited not just an economic black hole but a societal black hole” from the Conservatives. He is expected to say, “We have to take action and do things differently. Part of that is being honest with people about the choices we face, and how tough this will be. Frankly, things will get worse before they get better.
According to Starmer’s remarks, Labour discovered a £22 billion black hole in public finances upon taking office, which will require “unpopular decisions” – likely tax hikes in the upcoming budget – to rectify. The Prime Minister also intends to attribute much of the blame for recent right-wing riots on the Conservatives, arguing that 14 years of populism and failure contributed to the unrest. He claims that the rioters “were betting on” not receiving any jail time due to prison overcrowding.
Starmer’s proposed solutions have not garnered much support, however. His response to the riots – which involved sentencing more than 200 people, including for “harmful” online speech, and releasing prisoners early to make room for the rioters – sparked accusations of “two-tier” policing. Furthermore, only one in six Britons support tax increases as a means of addressing the country’s economic challenges.
A recent Ipsos poll revealed that Starmer’s net approval rating has fallen from plus seven to zero since the election, with 52% of Britons asserting that the country is headed “in the wrong direction.” The Prime Minister will likely address these concerns by emphasizing the need for a comprehensive overhaul of existing systems and policies, rather than merely applying band-aid solutions.
In anticipation of Starmer’s speech, Conservative Party chairman Richard Fuller criticized the Labour leader for his government’s recent decision to cut a winter fuel allowance for pensioners and for awarding his top donor an unrestricted pass to his office. Fuller accused Starmer of “squandering money whilst fabricating a financial black hole in an attempt to con the public into accepting tax rises, and literally leaving pensioners in the cold.