People want leaders who are in touch, contends SEUN AWOGBENLE
In January 2025, I made a bold prediction that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer may not survive the far-right onslaught and could soon be forced to resign. For context, I made that tweet barely six months into his premiership. At the time, not much had suggested he would not last in post, but I had seen enough to know his chances of seeing through his electoral mandate were very grim.
Almost 18 months after my gambit, Keir Starmer has now finally resigned and is set to depart by July 18; if there are no counter nominations to Andy Burnham. The former mayor of the Greater Manchester area, who has since been dubbed the King of the North, may now become the King of the North and South as prime minister. I will come back to Andy in a moment.
Now, I say this as someone who has watched almost all the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) Starmer has had during his premiership, bar none: I think he was a fairly decent prime minister who loved his country with relentless conviction and unshakeable determination. But as we have come to see it, not only do nice men not make good politicians; good intentions are also sometimes not enough. In my assessment at least three challenges may have made his premiership almost untenable.
