Starmer's lost credibility will be difficult to restore

The deaths of another eight migrants attempting to cross the English Channel from France are further tragic evidence of a deepening crisis. Just a few weeks ago, twelve people, including children, drowned. This year, the number of people crammed into small boats and dinghies attempting the dangerous journey has risen sharply compared to 2023.

It is one of the most difficult problems facing the country, and yet Labour, in opposition, did everything it could to block almost everything the Conservatives did to solve it. Now in office, Sir Keir Starmer is finding that simple criticism can come back to haunt him.

His first act in No 10 was to abandon the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, a policy that was supposed to act as a deterrent. The very fact that he abandoned this approach emboldened the traffickers Labour wants to “smash”. It gave the impression of a lack of serious intent, which the appointment of former police chief Martin Hewitt to head a new border force will not change.

In fact, Sir Keir is now so concerned that he is reportedly considering sending asylum seekers to Albania, seeking a similar deal to that proposed by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with whom he is in talks today.

Voters will be asking why it is justifiable to send migrants to Albania, but so wrong to deport them to Rwanda. Both are designed to deter them from attempting the crossing that could lead to disaster. Does Sir Keir think that a policy proclaimed by Labour is automatically good, while a similar plan by the Tories is bad?

The country has already seen through this scam. Sir Keir loves to lecture on political ethics, and yet he accepted money to buy clothes for himself and his wife. The question here is not whether he declared these gifts properly, but why he felt the need to accept them in the first place.

Sir Keir's credibility problem is growing: he appears uncertain on foreign policy, changes his mind on climate targets for cars, faces criticism for releasing prisoners early and dismissing pensioners with heating subsidies, while at the same time agreeing to big pay rises for public sector workers.

First impressions count in all walks of life, not least in politics. It is difficult to restore credibility once it is lost and Sir Keir has managed to squander his credibility in just two months.

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