Keir Starmer is realising what I learned about being in power — it is brutal
3 min read
As Keir Starmer has found out since replacing my old boss, being prime minister is unforgiving. The PM has been wise to build international relationships amid global instability, but he must deliver at home to avoid the same fate as us.
“Thankless”, “brutal", "relentless" — these are the words that spring to mind when I’m asked about my 20 months in No10. “Not enough pay in the world” is another when I’m asked whether I’d take on the top job.
To put it mildly, the job of prime minister is not one I envy.
I’m sure Keir Starmer will be having similar reflections as he fights to read red boxes on Christmas Day as the Brussels sprouts go cold, and his kids and wife fight for his attention.
As most of us head into a Christmas period spent with family, he will be spending his preoccupied with protesting farmers, angry pensioners, another Chinese spy scandal, a backlash from business, and the prospect of a new US administration — and the richest man in the world — none of whom wish Keir very much festive goodwill. And that’s just the stuff we know about.
Whilst most of us bathe in mulled wine, he’ll be bathing in a tepid bath of decline.
2024 was quite a year for the United Kingdom, and 2025 doesn’t look so tranquil either.
At one point Starmer probably thought he was this year’s big winner, securing a colossal majority to end Labour’s 14 years in the wilderness.
Becoming prime minister is a huge achievement, but politics is a great leveller.
As Starmer is finding, governing is fast and reactive, and words matter. It was easy to align with pensioners, farmers and WASPI women in the old days, and even easier to promise a remedy to all their problems without the worry of who was picking up the tab.
He’s had quite a ride during his six months in office, and I’m sure his New Year's resolutions list will be long and thoughtful.
I understand these pressures personally. I was a special adviser to Rishi Sunak throughout his time in Downing Street, and six months after the election I’ve still not recovered.
But I’m not all that cynical about the Starmer tenure. Some of the six months he’s had will put him in good stead for the New Year's challenges.
There’s been a lot of commentary on the amount of time that the new Prime Minister has spent abroad, fleeing from the mounting problems at home while happily forgetting the constant criticism he gave Rishi for his flying habits.
But’s it not entirely a bad thing that he spent so much time in the air.
We’re entering 2025 with a macro landscape dominated by foreign policy. The second Donald Trump presidency, the war in Ukraine, the increasingly uncertain picture in the Middle East, new relations with China, and political instability in Europe will all have seismic impacts on the UK.
The relationship building he’s been grafting away at since July will hopefully bear fruit as these complex issues smother the political landscape.
During our time in government, Rishi did a lot to rebuild our standing on the international stage. Aside from his financial rigour, this is where he was at his best.
But the international arena can swallow a prime minister's time and energy and Starmer must avoid being totally consumed by foreign affairs.
We have a public that is impatient for change, extremely volatile and thirsting for straight-talking, no-nonsense leadership.
As other leaders have found, foreign policy never wins an election.
If Starmer doesn’t start delivering at home, his Christmases in No 10 could be numbered.
Jack Sellers is a Director at Blakeney and was previously an adviser to former prime minister Rishi Sunak.
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