Starmer wistfully says he wants “promises” to matter again, after lying his way to the leadership

During the launch of Labour’s local election campaign, Keir Starmer said:

We’ve got to give people hope, hope that politics can change, that we can return to a place where promises matter

The thing is, Starmer has gone back on the pledges he made to become Labour leader. So how can we trust what he says now?

Broken pledges

In pledge one, Starmer promised to raise income tax on the top 5% of earners. But in September 2023, the MP for Holborn and St Pancras walked that back, stating he would not increase any income tax.

Starmer said in pledge two that he would “support the abolition of tuition fees”. Again, in May 2023, he went back on that promise, suggesting the party was exploring other options.

Tuition fees push debt onto those who want to learn the skills they need to succeed and enrich their life.

It’s increasingly clear words mean little to Starmer. In pledge three, he promised that he “put the Green New Deal at the heart of everything we do”.

And yet again, in February 2024, the Labour leader dropped a £28bn per year commitment to green energy.

For pledge four, Starmer stated “no more illegal wars… put human rights at the heart of foreign policy. Review all UK arms sales and make us a force for international peace and justice”.

But the Labour leader said in October 2023 that Israel “has the right” to impose collective punishment on Palestinians civilians in Israeli occupied Gaza through cutting off electricity and water.

Starmer also hasn’t challenged the Conservatives on licensing the sale of weapons to Israel, while the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is investigating it for a “plausible” genocide in Gaza.

Starmer’s lies continue

In pledge five, Starmer claimed that “public services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders. Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water.”

But in similar form, he has dropped plans to nationalise energy, mail and water. On rail, even the Tories are admitting that privatisation doesn’t work, bringing a number of services into state ownership.

Labour have claimed they would bring the railways fully into public ownership. But whether this limited offer is one Starmer will finally keep is unclear.

Rail, for instance, is a clear natural monopoly because companies cannot even compete through somehow a) offering two competing trains at the same time or b) building another competing train track and station in the same area. Privatisation just doesn’t make sense.

Under pledge six, Starmer vowed to “defend free movement as we leave the EU”. But in November 2022, he reversed his position. He branded free movement a “red-line” that “won’t come back under my government”.

Onto pledge seven, Starmer committed to working “shoulder to shoulder with trade unions to stand up for working people”. But then he demanded that his shadow cabinet do not join picket lines.

Just 9% of the public trust politicians to tell the truth. Yet they are supposed to be public servants. Clearly, Starmer is part of the problem here.

A whopping number of broken pledges shows Starmer will say anything that is politically beneficial. It’s difficult to see how we can trust what he says moving forwards.

Featured image via Sky News – YouTube