For most of my life I have been interested in British politics. I can recall talking with my mates about Tony Blair’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in high school and at university. During the Brexit debate, my American friends would frequently ask me just what was going on across the pond. Through that point in my life, however, the British government had largely been a stable government. The only real short-lived government was that of Gordon Brown, who followed Tony Blair into No. 10, but was understandably ousted in an election framed by the devastation caused by the Great Recession.
Then came Brexit and everything changed. David Cameron, who promised the public a referendum despite being in favour of remaining within the European Union, resigned after the British public voted to leave the EU. He had been in office for just over six years.
The Tories then began their slow—or quick, I guess—descent into chaos. Sunak followed Truss followed Johnson followed May followed Cameron.
Almost two years ago, Sir Keir Starmer won a landslide election for the Labour Party and for the first time in 14 years, the UK had a Labour government at Westminster.
Two years hence, Starmer is on the verge of being booted from 10 Downing Street. (I grew up in a place called Downingtown and I loved when my mother would take us to eat at an English style pub in town called 10 Downing Street.) The BBC reports that Starmer’s Health Secretary, Wes Streeting will challenge him tomorrow. If that comes to pass, I doubt Starmer survives in office.
I saw a political post on Twitter this week as this Downing Street drama unfolds about how instability has become the norm in British politics—it’s not unique to the US. So I thought I would look at it through the lens of my life—the length of each British government in my lifetime. (I was born during Thatcher’s government, so I am including her whole stint.)
Will Starmer survive? I am starting to doubt it. And because of the parliamentary system used in the UK, the Brits will not have to go to the polls for another few years. Instead, you will just see another bar appear and the Starmer bar will be yet another low bar that I doubt will be overcome.
(Editor me’s note: I just saw an Economist headline I had to share: Keir Today, Gone Tomorrow).
Credit for the piece is mine.