Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have been told the “one opportunity” they have to achieve a “political reset” ahead of the Government’s looming Budget, as the party faces mounting pressure over their policies.
Reeves has sparked widespread backlash with several of her plans for Britain, most notably the decision to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment for millions of pensioners, which she affirmed was the “right decision” at the party’s conference.
With other discouraging proposals including a hike in employer National Insurance Contributions and reducing the 40 per cent tax relief for higher earners, top pollster Dr Tom Lubbock has detailed how the Labour government can turn things around before the Budget announcement.
Speaking to GB News, Lubbock claimed that “one thing that could be good for them” would be a “U-turn” on the Winter Fuel Payment, which is set to leave tens of millions of the elderly out of pocket.
Labour is facing mounting pressure over the Budget as several suspected policies have been revealed
PA / GB News
Lubbock explained: “One thing in the polling that could be good for them is a U-turn on the Winter Fuel Allowance.
“To Labour figures, that would seem incredible because it’s a policy they’ve stuck with for a couple of months and it’s already in the books.”
He added: “But they’re looking for a reset after the summer, and it’s the only thing that’s on offer to them that would convince voters, particularly pensioners, where they’ve lost the most votes, that they’re actually listening and they’re on their side.”
Casting doubt over Labour’s chances of U-turning on the policy, Lubbock said it is a “great opportunity for a reset if they grasp it”, but is “unsure” as to whether they would.
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When asked how he believes Labour has performed as a Government since their landslide election win in July, Lubbock claimed Starmer’s reign has “gone downhill faster than David Cameron and Tony Blair”.
He said: “It’s so rare for new Governments to actually come in and change strikes – I think David Cameron said it’s him, Tony Blair and Keir Starmer in the last 30 years, so we don’t get to see it very often.
“If I were Labour, I would be getting more and more nervous as we get closer to this Budget. The noises off are not positive.
“There’s not really a story that’s being told about what’s coming in this Budget that offers any way of getting this political capital back for Labour.”
Dr Tom Lubbock revealed the one way Labour can ‘reset’ ahead of the Budget
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Offering his analysis of Labour’s future as Government, Lubbock suggested that the next five years could “turn into a state” if Starmer continues on the path he’s on.
Lubbock concluded: “Labour have had a really bad summer, as has Keir Starmer, who is on a -25 approval rating.
“It’s been a terrible summer for Labour. There’s no other way to describe it, but they’re in for five years and so I think anyone who wants the country to succeed, wants them to get some of this political capital back and actually be able to push through some of the reforms that they were elected to do.
“Otherwise, we’re going to be in a real state in five years’ time.”
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