Ever since the Labour Party chose Ed Miliband over David Miliband as leader, the party has been on a downward trajectory. Keir Starmer’s victory was not so much a triumph for him as a reflection of the Conservative Party’s unpopularity—Labour won largely because the Tories were rejected, not because of any particular leader. The same result could have occurred under Angela Eagle, Diane Abbott, Harriet Harman or even Jeremy Corbyn. Crediting Starmer alone is naive.
Winning elections in the 21st century often depends less on policies, realities or honesty than on a leader’s ability to manipulate public perception—through lies, disinformation, displays of personal wealth, stoking fear of exaggerated threats, and aggressive attacks on opponents. Nigel Farage recently proclaimed victory based on one or two Reform-run councils, yet there is no clear evidence those councils are performing better. This mirrors tactics used by Donald Trump; Farage appears to be emulating those same harmful strategies.
We should not need to wait for Reform’s manifesto to predict their agenda: cuts to welfare and childcare, NHS privatization, and tax reductions for the wealthy can be expected. If Farage becomes prime minister, his tenure may be short—perhaps one term—before he fades away. But Keir Starmer’s leadership helped create the current fragmentation; when he departs, both Labour and the Conservatives may reassert themselves.
The recent rise in support for the Liberal Democrats and the Greens reflects disillusioned voters who see the traditional Labour and Conservative parties as unelectable. British voters need to recognize the divisions and discord sown by figures like Donald Trump and his admirer Nigel Farage, and judge whether they truly offer anything better than Trump’s model of politics.
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