In less than two years, the British Labour Party has gone from a convincing victory in the elections to a loss in local elections, which also threatens the position of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, writes Reuters.
While officials across Europe face similar challenges, British politics has become much more unstable since leaving the European Union. Starmer is the sixth head of government since Brexit, and has promised to change the situation, but faces obstacles in fulfilling his promise. Part of the growing anger among voters is associated with Starmer himself, polls show that there are a number of reasons for the dissatisfaction of citizens at both the national and local levels.
In many parts of the industrialized world, people are struggling to ward off the feeling that a recession is underway and that the future prospects are not bright, and in Britain this is exacerbated by the wide income gap between the richest Britons and everyone else. Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development shows income inequality that is above average, and a widening gap between the richest 10% of Britons and the rest of the country.
Inflation in Britain has proven more resilient than elsewhere. One reason is that interest rates are higher than in the eurozone, which increases mortgage payments. The high dependence on fluctuating natural gas prices also means that the British economy is feeling the effects of the Iran war more severely. Many voters are angered by the prospect of tax hikes to historic highs, sparking debates about fairness.
One of the hottest topics in British domestic politics is migration and asylum seekers.
Immigration control was one of the top priorities for voters who supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum. However, after leaving the European Union, migration flows reached new records, boosting support for the anti-immigration, populist Reform Party led by Nigel Farage.
Improving public services was one of Starmer’s key promises in the 2024 election, particularly for the National Health Service (NHS). The state of the NHS has been dramatically worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. Waiting times for essential services were particularly long in 2023 and have now improved, but patients are still waiting much longer than they were before the pandemic. People are also dissatisfied with access to local government and judicial services, and access to NHS dental services is uneven.
A survey by market research company YouGov before the election showed that the state of Britain’s roads is among the issues that most worry citizens. 37% of respondents indicated that it is the most significant problem in their municipalities. The media has also paid extensive attention to the dangers posed by potholed roads.
Although statistics show that the crime rate in most categories of violations is decreasing in the long term, surveys have found that one in five residents is constantly in contact with crime, and the feeling of insecurity is one of the biggest problems in the country.
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