Odds on Rishi Sunak to be sent packing as PM before the end of the year are now just 4/1 after Keir Starmer delivered one of his most convincing speeches to date, significantly upstaging his opponent’s mediocre new year’s address.
Speaking in London less than 24 hours after Sunak, the Labour leader boldly appropriated the infamous Brexit slogan “Take Back Control,” but this time, while pledging to empower communities across the country by devolving power from Westminster.
Starmer promised to end an era of “sticking-plaster politics”, pointing to strikes and the crisis engulfing the NHS as evidence of the damage caused by the Tory government’s “short-term mindset”.
The Labour leader promised a “decade of national renewal” if he prevails at the next general election but also warned that his party would not just get out a big government check book and “spend our way out of this mess.”
He was keen to distance himself from his disastrous predecessor by once again portraying Labour as a pro-business party, stressing the importance of a vibrant private sector and “active partnership between public and private sector.”
His keynote speech is getting a much better reception from pundits than Sunak’s vague five point plan – the latter slammed as unambitious and lacking any clear plan for ending industrial action or salvaging a collapsing health service.
It seems Labour’s 20 poll lead could soar further still.
The bookies are now giving Labour 1/3 odds of winning the next General Election – even shorter than the 3/4 odds following Starmer’s party conference speech in Liverpool. And that was back when he was up against the crash who went by the name of Liz Truss…
If Sunak is sent packing too, who will Starmer be taking on next in the despatch box?
Odds on Kemi Badenoch and Penny Mordaunt to be the next Tory leader are 6/1 and 8/1 respectively. But the surprise frontrunner is (sigh) Boris Johnson. Plus ça change…
Write to us with your comments to be considered for publication at letters@reaction.life
