Scoring the press coverage of Keir Starmer’s first 100 days

Opinion

The UK’s prime minister might have changed, but the Right wing’s parochial and narrow obsessions have stayed the same.

We have just had the first 100 days of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Government and even the most enthusiastic supporter would accept it has been a mixed bag.

Damaging strikes by doctors in the NHS and economically damaging rail disputes have been brought to an end through negotiation and the application of money — as was always inevitable.

The ludicrously expensive, and almost certainly illegal, Rwanda scheme was (as promised) terminated, and a new border security command created to try to reduce the number of small boats.

The Conservative policy of early releases from prison to reduce overcrowding was implemented – with a new more pressing need because of Sir Keir’s strong and effective response to the summer racial riots that swept many parts of England.

Whiff of disillusionment

On a personal level the Prime Minister travelled widely, met world leaders, though in the US he only managed to meet Donald Trump and not Kamala Harris. Overall he conducted himself like an adult and, on the whole, appeared to know what it was expected of a Prime Minister representing the UK.

On the distaff side, while acknowledging the “£22bn black hole” and the need to raise taxes, removing the winter fuel allowance from around 10m pensioners was the wrong target and a politically inept thing for a Labour Government to do.

If this had to be the target then something more graduated was required, either cut the allowance or remove it from those who could afford to lose it.

Bad politics.

Then there have been the completely unrealistic attempts to “reset” relationships with the European Union while shunning the single market and even refusing the right of young people to live and study throughout the EU, and this when polls are showing a majority want to rejoin the Community.

On top of the pile there has been Sue Gray’s salary and bundling out of Downing Street, suits, glasses, football games, Lord Alli’s access to Number 10, concert tickets and special police escorts for Taylor Swift leading to an early whiff of disillusionment hanging over the Government.

Even so in terms of delivery, while 100 days is a very short time to tackle deep-seated economic and social problems, The Times gave Sir Keir 4/5 for delivery on his energy promises, 4/5 on relaxing planning obstacles and a 3/5 on prisons and justice.

Less good news on the economy — 1/5 and only 2/5 on delivering on a key battleground on which a Labour Government could stand or fall, the future of the NHS.

Definitely a mixed bag so far.

Right-wing press success

But how has the media performed in its coverage of the first 100 days of the first Labour government for 14 years?

Equally mixed, if not more so, with at least some of the usual suspects being quite unable to come to terms with the loss of power, access and influence following the large Labour majority.

The Right-wing press have succeeded (if that is the right word) in creating, and then gleefully reporting, on a supposed aura of sleaze that has come close to defining the public reputation of the Government.

In particular they have equated Labour “sleaze” with the multi-millions involved in VIP lanes for Tory donors who got rich without providing useable Covid medical equipment, the controversy over Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick helping a donor save £45m in taxes or more recently, apparently accepting a £75,000 donation from an offshore company with no profits or employees.

The newspapers now hounding Starmer were rather more lax about the much larger scandals that engulphed the Conservative governments of recent years, an accusation that has also been levelled against the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.

The BBC’s Chris Mason trumpeted about his great scoop that Downing Street chief-of-staff Sue Gray earned £3,000 more than Sir Keir even though the head of the civil service Sir Simon Case earned more either of them.

An unimportant difference, except that it may have been evidence of wider tensions within the Downing Street administration, and perhaps, the difference between running for power and actually exercising it.

While Gray was undoubtedly sacked it is equally true that the media that made her “the story” which at the same time made it virtually impossible for her to do her job.

The (free) gift that keeps on giving

The so-called “freebie culture” in Labour, has resulted, ironically, from Labour being meticulous in reporting every benefit even adding notional prices to Sir Keir’s trips to the Arsenal director’s box which is by invitation and does not have a formal price.

It might not been wise for Sir Keir to accept £20,000 from Lord Alli for suits and glasses but despite, presumably extensive efforts, the media have failed to find any material benefits the long-term Labour Peer and friend of the Prime Minister obtained as a result.

In future, if such financial support is considered necessary, it should come from Labour Party HQ and not from named individuals.

The latest “scandal” is the special police escorts arranged for the Taylor Swift concerts in London in August and the involvement of Home Secretary Evette Cooper, Attorney General Lord Hermer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan in arranging the cavalcade.

The media was obsessed by the fact that Ed Balls, the former Education Secretary who is married to Evette Cooper, was given four tickets: one of which went to his wife.

This, according to the press, was the reason why Cooper pressed for special police protection.

Even though the police emphasised there was no specific London threat to Swift, there was little space to mention the suicide bomb threat that closed her Vienna concerts.

There was also the small matter that Taylor Swift’s mother warned that the London concerts would be cancelled without greater police protection.

More Labour sleaze, obviously.

Keir traps

Unlike the Daily Mail, the Sun has been a little more even-handed.

On Monday the Sun’s political editor Harry Cole asked whether “Reeves’ Halloween budget could be a real horror show,” but the next day featured a piece by the Prime Minister on his stage-setting investment conference and his determination to inspire growth.

The Times also splashed on Monday with the news that some of the world’s largest banks and companies felt that the time was now right to invest in the UK.

As for the overtly Right-wing press the parochial, narrow, political obsessions continue apace and they would only get a two out of five score for their 100-day coverage and must try harder.

As indeed should Sir Keir Starmer in taking more care to avoid naïve entrapments in future.