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Inevitable turnaround

Inevitable turnaround
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The UK’s Labour Party has registered an impressive turnaround in the country’s politics—ending the 14-year rule of the Conservative Party. The UK is now in the league of limited nations where the power has shifted from right to centre-left. Given the degree of turbulence the Conservative Party has gone through over the past several years, this change of guard was almost inevitable. In fact, exit polls had been very clear in projecting a landslide victory for the Labour Party.

Two complementary factors were at play in deciding the fate of the UK elections—the post-2019 revival of the Labour Party under Keir Starmer and the chaotic run of the Conservative government. In 2019, the Labour Party had faced the worst-ever defeat in around a century, with Conservatives winning an 80-seat majority. Taking over the reins from the veteran hard-left leader Jeremy Corbyn, Starmer managed to project the party’s vision in a more pragmatic term than his predecessor. In a marked departure from Corbyn’s populist freebies, Starmer sensed the mood of the electorate seeking a wider sense of economic stability. He came with the perception of prudence which was enough to raise him above the sinking ship of Tories, as Conservatives are popularly known. Notably, while his Labour Party won 64 per cent of the overall seats, the vote share remained a mere 34 per cent—2 per cent above 2019. Starmer lacks the charisma and oration skills when compared to his predecessors in the Labour Party, and even the Tories. What went in his favour is perhaps his penchant for gradual but detailed progress—be it as a human rights activist or the government’s top prosecutor in the past.

However, the UK’s General Election results reflect as much the decline of the Tories as the rise of the Labour Party. Tories have received the worst-ever drubbing in their history—leaving a lot for the party to introspect upon. Its previous term saw the decline of Boris Jhonson and the chaotic 49-day prime ministership of Liz Truss. Though Rishi Sunak managed to control the economic situation to some extent and brought about a certain degree of political stability in his 18-month term, his performance was not good enough to quell people’s distrust in the party’s ability to bring the economy on a firm footing, developed over a period preceding Sunak’s leadership at the helm.

Evidently, anti-incumbency was among the most prominent factors in the UK elections. Starmer, in his victory speech, proclaimed that people were "ready for change". He avowed a transition from “the politics of performance" to "politics as public service.” Starmer has a relevant point to prove. The Brits indeed voted for better salaries, inflation reduction, lower mortgage rates, better public service and, more importantly, the change Starmer has been talking about. They have voted for prudence and pragmatism over magnificence and charisma, as reflected in the defeat of numerous high-profile candidates including Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps. As Starmer assumes office in 10 Downing Street, he will have his task cut out. A domestic turnaround in the UK is expected.

On the foreign policy front, the Labour Party significantly aligns with the Conservatives. The India-UK Free Trade Agreement is in the process of being finalised, and the Labour Party seems no less proactive than the Tories in getting it done swiftly. In fact, a "new strategic partnership" with India, including an FTA, was among one of the manifesto pledges of Starmer. The Labour Party also shares more or less the same outlook as the Tories with the United States. Hopefully, the Starmer-led Labour Party will manage to set things in order for the UK.

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