Keir Starmer's era will be 'volatile' | Adam Boulton

“We are now in a much less predictable political environment.”
We're in a "new political era" where the electorate is "volatile" and MPs are not moving into a safe seat or "job for life", says Times Radio's Adam Boulton.
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[@davidhodgson3901]

Dear me. If a 20,000 majority wasn’t safe for the Tories, why wouldn’t Labour be realistic about majorities under 5,000? Tactical voting delivers vote efficiency and is the best tool to tackle FPTP which, up until 2024, the Tories loved. Not any more.

[@mr.mayhem7402]

I'm not aware of any Tories who criticise FPTP. Reform yes, but Tories? Happy to be corrected and proven wrong but the 2 main parties stick with FPTP in government and I imagine Starmer will.

[@robduncan599]

On the face of it that's true ? However should this election be PR Conservative and Reform together would still need help from Lib-Dem to scrap over the 50% line ? Even on a hard right swing Conservative ,Reform, DUP would struggle to scrap over the 50% line . Conversely Labour 0n 33.8% and Lib-Dem on 12.2 only gets them 46% they would also need Green 6.8% to carry them over the 50% line . All that PR would do is force hard right or hard left parties to compromise? Not really in the nature of hard right or hard left ? PR is no silver bullet but probably best bet in long run?

[@factstrumpprejudice6740]

​@@mr.mayhem7402 Changing the system is the very last thing Starmer will do.

[@Jankfather]

Who are "the Tories" you're referring to? I imagine this post is getting voted up because it says "Tories bad", but it's also clearly untrue. I can't even think of a single one who's gone on record to blame FPTP let alone that being the party's narrative.

[@nigellee9824]

Thankfully, safe seats are a thing of the past...

[@davecross4493]

I feel a lot better now he's in tbh.

[@keithjackman8886]

From Ghoulies and Ghosties, Long Leggity Beasties and the Labour Party, may the good Lord deliver us.

[@thomasmoore1499]

You've just been delivered, come out and smell the coffee

[@chrishateley5582]

"Volatile?" It's going to be outright destructive.

[@piccalillipit9211]

*OF COURSE TACTICAL VOTING WENT ON* we had multiple websites for it and "vote swapping" sites - we put a HUGE amount of effort into it...!!!

[@songscoops4205]

What exactly will Labour change 😂😂

[@exbritishforcespatriotscha7723]

Will make it worse,look at the people he chose to be his cabinet,probably worse choices in political history..

[@thomasmoore1499]

People like you to start with...

[@Cherrytune386]

More than the Cons ever did!!! For the better!

[@songscoops4205]

@Cherrytune386 just words...nothing specific...boring

[@songscoops4205]

@@thomasmoore1499 poor Thomas

[@MarkC-h7l]

Perhaps majorities have shrunk, not because of volatility, but because of the extremely low voter turnout. Re volatility, if u have so many prime ministers in such a short period of time, and catastrophic scandals, eg partygate, Liz truss etc, an abysmal government, is it any wonder voters switched sides

[@Radchenister]

One day in and the talking heads are wibbling on about volatility. Nothing has happened. It’s FPTP, that’s the game, 5 years set.

[@user-vc5zt9ci12]

Exactly - so many of these nutters who seem to believe they can see years into the future. It's BS

[@TimComley]

Incorrect this election was like no other , listen and learn

[@sodiumlights]

If there is any volitility it will come from the tabloids trying to exploit any divisions between Starmer & Rayner.

[@mogznwaz]

It will be between Starmer’s eye for Blair-like pragmatism and his party’s socialist lunacy

[@joaquimioakim229]

Rayner will oust him, he’s to glib and mug, she’s any ally cat, a survivor. She wants to be the first female leader of the Labour Party, along with Eddie Izzard 😂

[@thomasmoore1499]

@@joaquimioakim229 Only a clown would come up with that scenario

[@roberthancox]

I can't wait.😂😂😂😂

[@nationaltrevor255]

@@sodiumlights Yep.. Less than a week in to a new era in government, after year upon year of carnage, corruption and ineptitude. Some people are still moved to comment by parroting the odious half-truth and misinformation they’ve been lapping up for over a decade and presenting it as informed opinion. Give the new government a fair bat and bowl without slinging 20 plus year old mud about for crying out loud.

[@GACISLEX]

The Reform vote had a much larger impact on the outcome (reducing the Cknservative vote) than any tactical voting did.

[@neilslater3653]

Don't be so sure. Several polls are showing only a minority of Reform voters would have voted Tory if Reform weren't an option, 10% were Lib Dem as a 2nd option. There were 10,000+ signed up on tactical voting sites in some constituencies.

[@GACISLEX]

A minority? That is a real stretch. You can literally go back the past two elections and see exactly who those individuals voted for - the deltas in Tory fall off match the Reform vote give or take 10%.

[@tawektawek3838]

@@neilslater3653 Good point. When Farage came back and raised Reform's profile, Labour's lead didn't increase. Clearly the 14% Reform got were from other parties than the Tories.

[@neilslater3653]

@@GACISLEX Yes, around 1/3 by most polls, 1/3 would have been other parties and 1/3 wouldn't have voted. Easy to find this info yourself if you look.

[@alanwatterson2850]

The only thing Reform is good for.

[@alundavies1016]

Volatile? So which is it? Boring or volatile? Boringly volatile? Or volatile in it’s ennui? Starmer can afford to lose quite a few seats and still have a good grip on government. He doesn’t get drawn into pointless culture wars, or petty point-scoring. He has a plan and an electorate crying out for quiet competence.

[@thomasmoore1499]

Quite right , it didn't take long for all the nitpickers to emerge from the bushes

[@alundavies1016]

@@thomasmoore1499 it is incredibly similar to the attack lines on Biden, he is both a doddering “Sleepy Joe”, while simultaneously a criminal overlord of a mafia style family “Crooked Joe”. It is very disingenuous, at best sloppy, at worst actively misleading.

[@ArtherFocksake]

It would be great for the nation if Sir Keir Starmer (my dad was a tool maker) could always make his speeches at about 10pm, thereby helping the NHS with treatment and medication costs for insomniacs.

[@mrstevecox7]

Volatility argues for PR. Without it there is an impossible to justify bias against a large proportion of the electorate.

[@rtfazeberdee3519]

Labour will need to implement that because most people will revert to normal voting next time

[@mrstevecox7]

@@rtfazeberdee3519 They need to do that, but whether they will...?

[@rtfazeberdee3519]

@@mrstevecox7 that is the big question

[@markbolam1383]

hes got 5 years to sort immigration if not reform is waiting in the wings they polled 2nd in 15 of 20 seats in northeast in this weeks election

[@TheAegisClaw]

Immigration is not the major issue for most. Again and again polls show it's not. The economy is. Sort the economy, enjoy re-election.

[@markbolam1383]

@@TheAegisClaw yes it is

[@drummingtildeath]

​@markbolam1383 no, it isn't. Maybe it's a big thing for you, but polls show the economy is more important to most people.

[@markbolam1383]

@@drummingtildeath then explain why reform came 2nd in 15 out of 20 seats in northeast and got more votes than the liberal democrats

[@Blazedreptile]

Okay it's 2nd or 3rd

[@exbritishforcespatriotscha7723]

Worst cabinet in political history..

[@melgrant7404]

Thought we just had that.

[@drummingtildeath]

Clearly not based on their performance, so what IS it based on?

[@J_bixby]

@@exbritishforcespatriotscha7723 Actually, I believe we have just voted to get them out.

[@stewartbunting3568]

Just look at the cabinet the likes of Rainer and Lammy known as slimy

[@ArtherFocksake]

New Era of pre human international relations provided by David Lammy. This is going to be fantastical to watch.

[@davidbettney785]

I don't like the vision of Ed Davey "throwing himself off" ! :(

[@dh1380]

He's saving that for the next campaign

[@KevTheImpaler]

Tossing himself off, you mean.

[@keithjackman8886]

The man is a clown.

[@cazrealist1]

A new winter of discontent

[@rashomon351]

I get it. It's always hard to adopt to new realities. And even harder to get new political correspondents. To bash and deminish any change is the only way to cling to your job. So, I guess we'll have to take up with the old guard for a while who is unable to admit to a change really happening. Do you really want to talk about vote share ? 75,9% of Brits did not vote for Brexit. For some reason, British conservative media did not talk about that. So, maybe you're not in the best position to dispute the relevance of Labour's election result.

[@judithtaylor4767]

So I disagree I am so happy for labour has won I don't like reform I support labour more now than I did

[@stewartbunting3568]

You will live to regret it, you're not a patriot you are a traitor to this country!!!!

[@J_bixby]

Marginal? This guy is deluded. Labour have 412 seats.

[@MissMarceline-wp6oq]

412 seats can go in a flash if labour doesnt improve people's life period in the next 5 years.

[@J_bixby]

@@MissMarceline-wp6oq well the conservatives kept making things worse for everyone except the billionaires. They stayed in for 14 years. Give Keir Starmer a chance to do the damn job before criticising yeah?

[@thomasmoore1499]

@@MissMarceline-wp6oq You cannot be serious, 412 go as if by magic ???

[@DeanSinger-ky7md]

@@J_bixby Marceline might be spot on - might see a few resignations after a year, record number of bi-elections coming!

[@lheureexquise140]

What just happened to the Tories? This isn't rocket science.

[@FaithPetrov]

The conservatives brought an Indian PM????? my mom's side is British, and when I saw Sunak, it is like stabbing me right in the heart. Guys, Great Britain isn't just a country, GB built entire countries. Holy LORD✝️🇬🇧.

[@Knappa22]

Labour had better be focused and quick about their business then.

[@smoothoperator2008s]

Keir too will exit crying

[@RobertThomson-y4m]

This is a disaster in the making. Starmer is a spineless man who has no convictions or character. Reminds me of the German chancellor. He's going to lose any appeal he has very quickly.

[@thomasmoore1499]

You are entitled to your opinion but that's all it is , enjoy.

[@lorna5193]

I imagine time will tell, however, his past history shows he does lack in conviction, with a lot of flip flopping. He will also have the conservatives and reform biting at his heels in parliamentary question time.

[@blue47er]

Just a few numbers to demonstrate what the electorate think of Starmer and his nu-labour party> iIn 2019, the Labour party had a total vote count of 10,269.051 votes: inn 2024 the total votes for Labour was 9,634,399. In 2019, Starmer was elected with 36,641 votes: in 2024, he gained 18884 votes. Some drop in votes, eh?

[@TheAegisClaw]

Yes, rather than the last lot, who had massive conviction... To line their own pockets... At any cost to the country.

[@user-vc5zt9ci12]

His first day has been a massive success. His first press conference was very good, too. I was very sceptical, but he is a massive improvement on the last lot. Appointing non-political actual experts into key roles is just what is needed and follows his country before party line.

[@JaysanBirch]

Biggest story is how many didn’t vote

[@davidharwood9552]

Wow Starmer shouting Change. No more blame. But. His first press conference he still blames the state of the prisons. Can we at least hear now what Labour will do to change 😮

[@NualaAhern-d5g]

New experienced prisons minister already appointed

[@davidharwood9552]

@@NualaAhern-d5g yes on record he feels a lot of prisoners shouldn’t be in prison. Let them all roam our streets. CHANGE. Empty prisons

[@babylonsburning1]

All Labour have to do in the next 5 years is fulfill their promises and the 2029 election will be a Labour landslide with a greater majority for the candidates. The Tories took their supporters for granted and they were fed up with the parties shenanigans.

[@theoilandgasresourceportal2132]

Don't confuse what you want, with what will happen.

[@SiLoJayLo]

What this is driving at, is: newly elected Labour MPs, with a slender majority - trying to defend the Labour mandate of mass greenbelt housebuilding projects within their constituencies......

[@timsimmons5953]

Tories must become conservatives again and fight or educate people what reform really is. We need a conservative party.

[@brianjupp1748]

Reform voters did not have a tactical choice when voting. They would not vote for anybody left of the Tories so they only had themselves. Labour Lib Dems and Greens have got used to voting for who came second to the tories last time or who beat the tories last time

[@dianeirvine7624]

Come Labour now we know the pledges , let’s see how many you actually keep ,

[@moomin7461]

Give them a chance FFS 😂

[@PedroMiguel-if3ll]

None. Monday when they open the books and found out there's no money, reality sets in! Taxes rising incoming. Wait and see

[@dianeirvine7624]

@@moomin7461 no more porkies or U turns then

[@MarkInOxford]

Sir Keir will be a steady hand on the tiller, and that’s exactly what this country needs for the next decade.

[@thorpsewinglessons5913]

Markinoxford may our masculine men protect us biological women. Which Starmer doesn't know what one is, and girls and little boys. From gender harm. And our Country which he absolutely doesn't like,of English born and bread Christian faith. Everything that is happening is for the foreign ones Only. Many tears will fall.God help us.

[@lorna5193]

With all the flip flopping he's famous for I think it's going to be pretty rough sailing with him at the helm.

[@thorpsewinglessons5913]

@@lorna5193 agreed 💯% keep safe, we women now know he doesn't know what a woman is, God help us, and guide us from those who mean us harm.

[@lorna5193]

@peterholden3672 Sensible people - he doesn't even know what a woman is.

[@lorna5193]

@peterholden3672 Really. Is that why he took the knee.

[@Sunnysideup59]

Leave the man alone. Let him prove himself

[@colinporter7108]

Starmer declared that he is more aligned with Davos and the WEF than westminster. No more needs to be said. He is an enemy to free thinking and free speaking British.

[@ThomasBoyd-lo9si]

George from Ireland Eton college upset about it yes. He Tories Thomas.

[@wanderingfool6312]

The game is FPTP and you’re either good at it or you’re not. But this report was almost like they’ve only just become aware of the effort there was for tactical voting?

[@StephenAshton-jq6li]

It's possible starmers bit off more than he can chew at the end of the day.... time will surely tell...

[@thomasmoore1499]

More nonsense, do you think he's unhappy or worried about his huge majority, imagine

[@DoneDunning]

If there's one thing Labour really care about it's... I'll get back to you on that one.

[@thomasmoore1499]

What nonsense is this, do you have a clue ?

[@DoneDunning]

@@thomasmoore1499 The answer is blowing in the wind.

[@bfcfan2739]

Volatile ? Try oppressive and divisive

[@simongilbert2704]

very bitty mess again from the times ;;

[@alanforrester6900]

Mask wearing people love starmer

[@moomin7461]

Don't stop taking the meds. 😂

[@piccalillipit9211]

YES we do - we love him, and out masks

[@drummingtildeath]

People who are still obsessed about a bygone pandemic in which they were shown to be incredibly selfish, love Reform and the tories.

[@f0rtuzer0]

@@moomin7461 He's definitely not wrong though 😆

[@alanforrester6900]

@@piccalillipit9211 wait until your council tax goes through the roof see how popular then

[@Galacticmaster]

labour have only 5 years not 14, to make results. if they dont, there will be massive trouble. Palestine will be the least of their worries.

[@mogznwaz]

Actually I think having Islamists in parliament, sectarianism on our streets and violent intimidation of public servants who don’t toe the Islamist line is far far worse.

[@richardmurphy9006]

This is so different the uk it's giddy up done giddy up and gone

[@JelMain]

It had better be. Nothing's been done for years, so everything's stopped working. We've a good step already, that Starmer's appointed John Timpson as Prisons Minister, because he's developed real knowledge of helping probation releasers into work through his shops.

[@TooDarnSoulful]

We would be foolish to think that Blair/Mandelson/Brown do not have Starmer's ear and I think that wise people like that have made the mistakes and the PM should learn from them. Immigration is still a huge issue though, if Labour want open borders with unlimited numbers then they must improve the public services that obviously are effected as the numbers increase. Labour cannot have it both ways, cry racist but not getting off the fence as to what they want, I am not convinced that crushing the gangs, or attempting to, will cure this chaos.

[@MrKarlyboy]

Wrong answer. Imfrastructure housing but the numbers are too huge. The 40 to 50,000 seems to be sensible as quoted by Farage. The evidence backs that number too.

[@frankbrennan1619]

Absolutely, but the sad facts are that for completely the foreseeable future & a bit beyond, all that Sir Kneel & the completely London centric Liebour Party are going to give us, is even more low growth, even more low productivity, even more Government borrowing (for as long as they can), even more higher taxation, even more mass uncontrolled & mass unskilled immigration, even more foodbanks, even worse public services & a full blown economic recession or three & all that involves, thrown in for good measure....

[@mogznwaz]

Surely not even leftists want open borders and even more mass immigration. If they do they must be mentally ill masochists

[@teddycross8549]

The fact mps aren’t moving into a job for life is how it should be , will eradicate complacency and force them to serve their constituents if they want to keep their seat . No more of this keeping the voters support for granted as it has been for 15 years

[@michaelstanley3961]

There is now no such thing as a safe seat....

[@patrikfloding7985]

Sure. So volatile. Great crystal ball.

[@chrism3701]

Labour got 34% share of the vote, so according to the right wing media it was a Tory loss not a Labour victory. Lets just cast our eyes back to the 2015 General Election, when the Tories won with a 36% share of the vote, yet that was an outright win for the Tories according to the right wing media. Vote share means nothing in a FPTP system, it's all about seats. Period.

[@f0rtuzer0]

More cultural enrichment, more taxes.

[@kevinjackson6387]

For god sake give them a chance

[@theoilandgasresourceportal2132]

To ruin the country

[@ThePierre58]

Well, here's a first, I agree with Adam Boulton. In other news, Le Figaro, the right-wing daily newspaper, is reporting large groups of people are congregating near the northern ports of Calais and Boulogne. I guess they are trying to catch Wimbledon.

[@melgrant7404]

Is that a self portrait of him in the background.

[@zs8796]

If o my Jeremy corbyn was leader...

[@lolly9080]

But if you added conservative and reform vote it won the candidate

[@ianfairfield4503]

Starmer biggest tool ever

[@stocko5448]

it wont be long before the honeymoon period is over and the far left take charge i give Starmer 9 months.

[@donaldedgar1004]

Well let’s see what labour fose the dad seems to be a major problem and the prisons another that’s just for starters as for the boat people well this needs sorted soon as well I mean they come to safe country’s anyway so what have we got that the eu don’t A SOFT touch?

[@Buddha2024-w7y]

New error!

[@ThomasBoyd-lo9si]

Andreas schmidhofer Austrian he a friend yes Thomas. Thought Martin sellner socialist yes compared to English Tories yes.

[@TheLuckyLeif1021]

The most inept cabinet I have seen in my lifetime. Our deputy prime ministers seemingly only qualifications are that she was a teenage mother, lived in a council house and she is already a grandmother. We are in trouble. This will unravel quickly. I don’t even know where to begin with David Lammy.

[@vibhac5403]

The NON western global leaders must be laughing their heads off at the uk clown show 😅

[@caroltweedie9729]

Should anything happen to Keir at least we have Angela Rayner to fall back-on as the deputy PM !!

[@rodgerhargoon3402]

Truly a beautiful English rose 😂😂

[@zaedenuk]

No confidence motion is our only hope 😂

[@jimwilson-kl2xs]

Don't matter how marginal seats are, under FPP a landslide for Labour, a huge mandate, 5 years of Labour, that's it, we won, you lost, get over it

[@moomin7461]

Well said. 👍

[@VinoeP]

It not always about winning but performance. Time will tell whether we will all get over it or not.

[@mogznwaz]

Labour are in power but don’t get too cocky, it’s a false dawn and you know it.

[@londonsparrow9531]

​@@mogznwaz Fair enough, come back in 5 years and vote again.

[@Ladynipchick2]

I think Starmer is much tougher then he lets on. We'll see...

[@PedroMiguel-if3ll]

Any toolmaker could have won this election. People just wanted Tories out !

[@thomasmoore1499]

You speak as an outright tool

[@Cherrytune386]

So what, his fathers job is irrelevant!

[@PedroMiguel-if3ll]

@@Cherrytune386 So why Starmer repeated a million times during the campaign?

[@ThomasBoyd-lo9si]

Tomaz polish software engineer Austria Vienna he never gets Austrian citizenship he got permanent stay Austria harder than Italy yes. Salary €80000 per year it high Thomas.

[@higuys2514]

Its time to revolt against him and his party its all a scam

[@thomasmoore1499]

Clearly you are just revolting

[@Cherrytune386]

😂😂😂😂😂🤡

[@higuys2514]

@@thomasmoore1499 🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@matthewharding-ew1ts]

Starmer will be ousted within 18 months and Corbyn will step in. Now that will be interesting.

[@thomasmoore1499]

Where in the far corners of your mind did you come up with such an odd idea?

[@alanwatterson2850]

Nonsense

[@rayf926]

More of the same but on steroids.

[@markh5461]

Stooge

[@florete2310]

Come on, Britain. You can do it - it's not that bad: You voted for the social democrats... That's not so bad... I mean, look at us dummies at the mainland: France is shifting to the far-right - and my fellow countrymen here in Germany are about to do the same foolhardiness in the upcoming elections in 2025 (as if that mixture of a far-right, fascistic nationalism has ever worked for us)... So RELAX. Voting for a social democrat is still a waaaay more sensible choice in comparison to that shitshow that is going on on the rest of this continent...

[@petermclelland278]

Ay! Back to talking s*** time ?

[@GlynnHughes-xi4po]

What a load of right wing bs on here.

[@jontowse5893]

He's a coward he only became prime minister because the other one resigned

[@Cherrytune386]

Starmer is not a coward!

[@RPKGameVids]

A coward wouldn't be able to take on the role of being a PM, they'd be too scared.

[@StephenAshton-jq6li]

Were in deep water s....witch need a experienced captain to get us out of the storm... but I don't think we have one... and a lot more agree with me....

[@alanwatterson2850]

Most don't. Did you hear about the election?

[@maxthemagition]

The Labour Party should give Nigel Farage a Knighthood. Without Farage they would not have a majority…

[@alanwatterson2850]

You don't get knighthoods for selling snake oil.

[@kevinrobb86]

volatile is a huge understatement, governments of appeasement and a politicised police force and a woke military that's not fit for purpose at least Starmer wont have to become a war criminal in order to be knighted so there is that I suppose

[@zeddeka]

Russian bot

[@MarkFugitive-]

Nice buzzwords 😂 woke military

[@sarahjessicafarter7383]

​@@zeddekaStarmer is playing right into Putin's hands

[@davidfoster2006]

The good news is that a new generation will soon find out that a Labour government is even worse.

[@Cherrytune386]

😂😂😂😂😂 I doubt it.

[@thomasmoore1499]

Don't be daft, they won't forget the disaster of the last 14 years, apparently you have ?

[@philipstrachan6212]

Caretakers.

[@johnf3885]

It doesn't matter how incompetent Starmer turns out to be at least he can rely on The Times for support.

[@Trecesolotienesdos]

Why do peope say "Keir"? do people forget he's got a knighthood? As he's now PM, isn't it respectful to call him "Sir Keir"?

[@mogznwaz]

Leftists don’t like the ‘Sir’ bit - it’s too establishment and white privilege-y. It’s why Emily Thornberry always neglects to mention her own title. They have to keep up the gender of being the voice of the people’ when they are no such thing.

[@danielsellers8538]

Lib dems! VOTED REFORM

[@thesheepman220]

Same circus different clown

[@donbrogan3158]

Christ. God help this country.....

[@Cherrytune386]

😂😂😂😂 yes we need it after 14 years of the criminal Tories!!!!!!!

[@donbrogan3158]

@@Cherrytune386 of course Labour are going to be any better....🙄

[@geofo60]

We don't need help from some mythical sky daddy. If Labour fail to right the wrongs of the past fourteen years, the electorate will send them packing.