British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech at Britain’s Labour Party’s annual conference in Liverpool, Britain.

UK’s new govt scrutinised after first 100 days

(China Daily/ANN) -- The United Kingdom’s Labour Party government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, reaches its first 100 days in office on Saturday, a period marked by a flurry of domestic and international activities but overshadowed by mounting challenges and a growing sense of unease.
While policy decisions so far have largely adhered to election manifesto pledges, including promises to enhance relationships with key trading allies, particularly those in Europe, there have been alleged missteps, including contentious decisions on pensioner benefits and public sector pay, as well as resignations and criticism over gifts and donations.
However, the issue that has dominated all others during this first trimester is how the new government will address the public spending deficit in the budget on October 30.
UK media assessments of the government’s performance span the full spectrum of opinions, ranging from praise for decisive action, through concern over unfulfilled promises, and on to outright condemnation.
In his analysis for the center-left New Statesman magazine, political editor Andrew Marr put it bluntly.
“For Labour’s friends, these have been miserable weeks. After an election campaign to celebrate, the next 100 days were anything but. There has been no catastrophe, just grubby, embarrassing stories,” Marr wrote.
“Policies which have enraged vocal groups, from pensioners to investors, a breaking wave of unforgiving media hostility, and above all, a sense of drift at the center; confusion, hesitation, uncertainty. Political authority rests on faith, so this has been a dangerous autumn.”
Appraisals from right-leaning media have been brutal. In its leading article, The Spectator magazine, which is known for promoting a conservative viewpoint, said: “The promise of dramatic change has been overshadowed by a series of errors, misjudgments and scandals that one would associate more with an administration in its dying days than a government enjoying a fresh mandate, a massive majority and an absent opposition.”
After bringing the Labour Party to power for the first time since 2010, Starmer first turned his attention to the international stage, flying to Washington DC for a NATO summit on July 9.

(Latest Update October 14, 2024)