London —
“It’s the economy, stupid!”
The catchphrase made famous by Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign springs to mind when considering the instability that seems to have become a feature of Britain’s political life.
The United Kingdom is on course for its sixth prime minister in some seven years, as one political leader after another proves no match for a stubbornly weak economy, which has weighed on incomes and living standards, wearing down the electorate.
Outgoing Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, who is stepping down after just two years in the role, is in good company. His four predecessors — Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and Theresa May — faced many of the same thorny challenges, and abided similarly brief terms.
