Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have both resorted to telling bad jokes during Prime Minister’s Questions, as the government continues to make a series of policy U-turns that have left the public and even their own MPs disillusioned.
The latest reversal came on Tuesday when the government announced it would not be making digital ID cards mandatory, just months after Starmer had made this a key part of his plan to tackle illegal immigration. This follows other recent U-turns on inheritance tax for farms and business rates for pubs – all changes that were undoubtedly for the better, but came with a sense of predictability that has eroded public confidence.
With Sky News reporting 13 U-turns since Labour took office in 2024, it has become a running joke, with no sign of the government getting a handle on its policymaking. Badenoch used PMQs as an opportunity to take a swipe at the government’s about-turns, while Starmer resorted to listing the many changes of prime minister and cabinet the Conservatives have overseen in their 14 years in power.
Starmer’s attempts at comedy fell flat, with the Labour leader acknowledging he “does serious far better than he does comedy” and having “no sense of timing.” Badenoch fared little better, with her claims that her own backbenchers were thrilled with her performance ringing hollow.
Both leaders appear to have lost the faith of the public and their own parties. Starmer remains in Downing Street only because no one wants the job with an annihilation in the May elections looming. Meanwhile, Badenoch is clinging to her position as Tory leader by her fingernails, with the party’s poll ratings still desperately low.
It’s a far cry from the optimism that surrounded Starmer’s landslide victory in 2024, when he was expected to be able to implement his agenda with a massive majority. Instead, he either doesn’t know what he wants or manages to mess it up when he does. The government’s chaotic policymaking has left the country feeling “screwed,” as Starmer put it in one of his ill-advised attempts at humour.
With neither Starmer nor Badenoch appearing to take the business of governing seriously, it’s clear the public is not getting the leadership it deserves. As the political farce continues, the future of the country hangs in the balance.
