For most in the UK, last night’s election didn’t bring huge surprises. The polls had shown that a Labour landslide was likely, and that is what we got – at breakfast time today, the party won its predicted 410 seats. It’s a stonking, historic majority which means that this government will be the largest party in Britain for the first time in two decades. From the exit poll onwards, it was clear that the electorate sought to brutally punish the Conservatives for 14 years of sleaze, suffering, and cynicism that has left children in poverty, households struggling, sewage on our beaches, and public services on their knees. As Starmer said in his victory speech, given from Tate Modern this morning while surrounded by grinning activists, the electorate is “ready for change, to end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.”
It’s an incredible turnaround from the disaster of 2019, which had been Labour’s worst result since 1935, and Starmer has accomplished it, somewhat miraculously, in the space of a single term. It’s an unprecedented achievement. By the end of today, the new prime minister will have a brand new cabinet, and the real work of trying to fix a broken, battered country can begin. And make no mistake: that is a gargantuan task. Yes, Labour’s significant majority means that Starmer will find it easy to get legislation through the House of Commons, even if it’s of a more controversial nature. But nothing will be solved overnight, and after years of austerity, a botched Brexit, and a poorly managed pandemic, the country is in a terrible state.
Many voters have found Labour’s message that fixing the NHS and public services will be a long slog necessitating yet more austerity to be demoralizing – myself included. It’s depressing that the new government’s policies are probably going to mean a continuation of spending cuts. In an interview this morning, Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader and current member of Starmer’s cabinet, said that voters have been understanding, and recognizing the scale of the financial challenges that the nation faces. At the same time, there are people – children and disabled people especially – who are suffering desperately as a result of the previous government’s policies, and they need urgent assistance. Much as I would love to see the two-child benefit cap abolished straight away, we are unlikely to see anything so radical happen in the short term (or even, perhaps, during this term – although I hope that I am wrong).
Starmer has also said that the UK will not rejoin the European Union in his lifetime. It’s not surprising that so many voters have felt disillusioned. The last 14 years have been brutal, and pressing issues require radical solutions. We won’t be getting them, at least not yet. That doesn’t mean, however, that the right won’t view this as the “Starmergeddon” their headlines promised. The government will set about implementing manifesto commitments such as improving workers’ rights, building houses, creating a publicly owned energy company, and charging VAT on private school fees. In his victory speech, Starmer referenced the “sunlight of hope,” which he described as “pale at first, but getting stronger throughout the day.” Though he has kept his powder very dry regarding political promises, now that Labour is in, bold action is at least possible.
What would I like to see? Alongside Labour’s commitment to getting tough on violence against women, which includes a perpetrator program to identify the worst offenders, new rape courts to tackle a backlog of cases and specialist units in every police force, we need more policies addressing the issues that disproportionately affect women. Childcare, austerity, healthcare, the gender pay gap. I would like to see abortion decriminalized after the legislation was paused earlier this year, our stricken maternity services improved, and more support for women who do want to have children but are unable to due to low pay, poor housing, unaffordable childcare, and financial precarity. Better access to fertility treatment and a dramatic overhaul of maternity and paternity leave policy would also be welcome. A commitment to equal rights for trans women and an end to nasty and divisive rhetoric is urgently necessary, as this culture war is diverting attention from highly pressing feminist issues such as domestic violence and sexual harassment.
I have hope. In Rachel Reeves, the country will get its first-ever woman Chancellor of the Exchequer and as deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner’s profile will only increase, her vivacity a welcome counterpoint to Starmer’s calm sobriety. Moreover, this parliament is projected to be the most diverse ever, with a record number of women, LGBTQ+, and ethnic minority MPs. In 2010, less than a quarter of MPs were female, and while the chamber is not quite at a 50-50 gender balance, it is getting closer to that target. The proportion of black, Asian, and minority ethnic MPs is also set to rise, as is the number of LGBTQ+ representatives. Many of us hope that this will be reflected in the legislative agenda. For now, however, lots of us are still processing the fact that we even have a Labour government. After such a long Conservative reign, there’s a feeling of unreality to events. But it really is true: the Tories are out, Labour is at the helm, and maybe, just maybe, better times are coming.
