The ‘Save Starmer’ operation is flying kites over what it might do in the wake of the local election bloodbath. Rumours persist of yet another reset speech, coupled with a ludicrous plan to publicly shred the manifesto so Number 10 can “go big” on its fantasy economics. That promise not to raise income tax is really, really inconvenient…
If the speech goes ahead, it would be Starmer’s 30th attempt to reset his leadership:
- September 2020: Starmer used a ‘new leadership’ slogan to try and relaunch his leadership.
- January 2021: Starmer used another speech to launch the slogan ‘Secure, Protect, Rebuild’
- February 2021: Starmer launched his ‘New Chapter for Britain’ with a ‘policy blitz’.
- June 2021: Labour changed slogan to ‘Stronger Together’.
- September 2021: Starmer wrote a 14,000 word ‘mission statement’ with no new policies in an attempt to ‘reset’ his leadership.
- December 2021: Starmer claimed that after a year and a half of leadership, he would be setting out his ‘ideas’ to ‘build a new Britain’ throughout 2022.
- January 2022: A year after ‘secure, protect, rebuild’, Starmer reset his leadership with a ‘security, prosperity, respect’ slogan.
- April 2022: Starmer relaunched his leadership with a new slogan, ‘On your side’.
- June 2022: Labour confirmed another ‘policy blitz’ after their failed ‘blitz’ in 2021.
- January 2023: Starmer used a speech to reset his leadership and pitch himself as the ‘candidate of optimism.’
- February 2023: Starmer set out his own Five Missions for Britain.
- March 2023: Starmer launched his local elections campaign with his twelfth slogan: ‘Build a better Britain’.
- May 2023: Starmer set out his plan to reform the Labour Party, going ‘further and deeper than New Labour’s rewriting of clause iv’.
- October 2023: Starmer changed his Five Missions for Britain – ditching his commitment to the highest growth in the G7 to ‘get Britain building again’.
- January 2024: Starmer used his new year speech to pitch the general election as a chance to ‘turn the page, lift the weight off our shoulders, unite as a country, and get out future back’.
- May 2024: Starmer relaunched Tony Blair’s 1997-style pledge card.
- July 2024: Starmer changed Labour’s primary mission again to ‘securing economic growth’.
- October 2024: Starmer was forced into relaunching his Number 10 operation following the resignation of Sue Gray.
- December 2024: Starmer delivers his “Plan for Change”.
- March 2025: Big pitch on reforming Whitehall with programme to scrap quangos and reform way civil servants work.
- May 2025: “Securing Our Borders” reset and new slogan on immigration policy.
- July 2025: Cabinet away day seeks to reset the tone of government, fails.
- September 2025: Downing Street reset. Darren Jones appointed to a new role as Chief Secretary to the PM. Tim Allan installed as Starmer’s fourth communications director in five years.
- September 2025: Rayner resigns over the stamp duty scandal. Full cabinet reshuffle follows. Half the cabinet (12 of 27) move jobs; Jones promoted again to Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
- September 2025: Labour Party Conference speech in Liverpool declares political war on Reform and pitches “A Britain Built for All”.
- December 2025: “Britain Built for All” relaunched at Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre.
- January 2026: New Year political broadcast launches “renewal not grievance” slogan. Days later, Starmer pivots Labour towards EU single market alignment on Kuenssberg, slapping down Lammy and Streeting on the customs union.
- February 2026: Mandelson-Epstein scandal forces the resignations of chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and comms director Tim Allan in 24 hours. Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald goes shortly after. No.10 is left looking for a fifth communications chief in 12 months.
- February 2026: Dame Antonia Romeo appointed Cabinet Secretary, the first woman in the role. Charged with “driving change” and reforming the civil service.
- May 2026: Post-local elections reset speech. The 30th.
The man has been in Downing Street for less than two years, even if it feels like a century…
