Thread by @rickycoxon

Sir Keir Starmer was appointed leader of the Labour party exactly 100 days ago. I’m not one for caring about neat hair or sharp suits or forensic vocabulary – I care about actions. So let’s have a look at his record so far in my piece I’m calling #100DaysofStarmer

1. Sir Keir took up the leadership on the 4th April 2020, after almost 5 years of some people saying that Corbyn was having a -20% drag-effect on the polls.

2. During December and the 2019 election (under Corbyn), the Tories led by around +12%...

3. Throughout April (under Starmer) the Tories had managed to increase this lead to around +20%.

4. At this time there was a major pandemic and the mismanagement of the response by the Gov’t was killing over 1,000 citizens per day.

5. The Labour party led or tied in the polls right up until July 2019 when it announced it would offer a second referendum.

6. Sir Keir Starmer was an ardent supporter of a second referendum.

7. The day after his leadership victory, Sir Starmer promises to be different from the previous leader and to build a better future.

8. He wrote this in the Times online. Behind a paywall. The Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

9. In the piece, he vowed to hold the Gov’t to account and crackdown on antisemitism.

10. He later appointed Rachel Reeves to the Shadow Cabinet. Reeves had previously Tweeted her admiration for Nancy Astor, a profound antisemite and Nazi sympathiser.

11. Later in April, the BBC Panorama programme exposed serious failings and incompetence in the handling of PPE by the Gov’t and the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock was on the ropes…

12. Starmer was silent for 2 days and then praised the Gov’t in Parliament for the way it was handling the pandemic.

13. At the same time, Starmer was demanding the Gov’t publish an exit strategy because people needed to get back to work. That’s big Tory energy right there.

14. Also in April, an anonymous internal investigation into the handling of antisemitism by the party’s Governance unit was leaked...

15. It said that “those aligned with the right of the party had obstructed justice that ultimately led to antisemitism and racism allegations not being dealt with properly”...

16. The report also evidenced a culture of rampant bullying, abuse and internal sabotage by the right of the party towards the left.

17. Starmer’s leadership campaign was funded and aligned with the right of the party.

18. Starmer instructed an investigation to commence immediately.

19. 2 out of the 3 lines of enquiry are “who conducted the report” and “who leaked it”.

20. 2 out of the 3 persons on the investigation team had openly supported Starmer’s leadership bid earlier that year.

21. None of the panel are Jewish.

22. In June, one-third of Labour’s Governing body wrote to Starmer to express concern about being “misled” and the overall handling of the investigation...

23. It is also alleged the leaked report was blocked from being submitted as evidence to the Equality and Human Rights Commissions separate investigation into antisemitism in the party.

24. Starmer did not jump to any conclusions, did not suspend any member and has refused to comment on the allegations of bullying, abuse and harassment that is contained in the report until after the investigation has concluded.

25. However, much of the alleged bullying and harassment was targetted towards Labour MP and former Former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott.

26. A few days later he reprimanded Diane Abbott for holding an open zoom meeting that was attended by former members of the party that had been expelled for making antisemitic comments. No investigation was conducted.

Back to the pandemic.

27. Throughout May, Starmer supported much of the Governments response. He even offered to work with them...

28. This was the time when the shambolic “Stay Alert” message and the widely ignored Nando’s Peri-ometer spiciness alert level system came in to force...

29. It was also when the Gov’t fudged the test data to show 100,000 tests per day had been carried out.

30. Remember that Airports remained open, no track and trace was in place and the virus had been downgraded to remove the requirement for strict PPE in health settings.

30. Oh and a certain Dominic Cummings broke several lockdown rules on a trip to Durham and Barnard Castle...

31. People often commentated on Corbyn “missing an open goal” during Gov’t crises.

32. Sir Keir Starmer stayed pretty silent during this whole period.

33. The Government also announced that schools would open for some students in June. Various teacher's unions said they were against this. So did the doctors. And some scientists.

34. And so did Shadow Education Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey who said it wasn’t safe yet (more on her later).

35. Sir Starmer ignored them all and took an opportunity to do a few photoshoots inside schools.

36. June saw the Black Lifes Matter protests arrive in the UK. Sir Keir took this as another photo opportunity and kneeled in his office with Deputy Leader Angela Raynor.

37. Later that week, Keir described Black Lifes Matter as a ‘moment’ and that he disagreed with the “defunding of the police”.

38. Black Lifes Matter UK criticises the Labour leader saying “he’s a cop in an expensive suit”.

39. BLM UK also clarify that “defunding the police” meant for funding to be redistributed towards key services to support the most vulnerable before they come into contact with the criminal justice system.

40. Later that day, far-right celebrity Nigel Farage said he “heartily” agreed with the Labour leader.

41. June also saw Marcus Rashford single-handedly campaign to get free school meals extended throughout the holidays. The Gov’t u-turned under pressure.

42. Sir Starmer claimed “we” had to push the Gov’t on this. That’s a bit John Terry full kit celebration energy, Keir.

43. Throughout the rest of June, the R-rate rose back above 1.0, a local lockdown in Leicester began, several schools and factories were forced to close and the daily death rate still remained in triple digits on most days…

44. By the end of June, the United Kingdom becomes the worst country in the world for Covid-19 deaths per capita. Belgium would later overtake us.

45. Lifting of lockdown restrictions went mostly unopposed by Sir Keir.

46. Also in June, left-wing MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow Education Secretary that was against schools opening yet, shared an article on Twitter that contained an alleged antisemitic trope. The article was not written by Ms Long-Bailey. She was immediately sacked.

47. Several Labour MPs, such as Shadow Secretary of State Steve Reed, Shadow Minister Rachel Reeves, and Shadow Minister Lloyd Russell-Moyle for example, have also alleged to have shared, written or said antisemitic things. None have been sacked from the shadow cabinet to date.

48. Starmer hits out at the Gov't for having its messaging “all over the place” as the lockdown is relaxed to allow pubs and hairdressers to open on the 4th July – dubbed “super Saturday”.

49. Keir attends a barbers for a haircut on super Saturday. He doesn’t wear a mask.

50. Two days later Keir attends a pub to pull a pint for a photoshoot opportunity to celebrate the opening of pubs. Again, he doesn’t wear a mask. He is also criticised for standing less than 1m away from the staff.

51. Earlier in the year, the previous Labour leadership had called for Universal income, rent and utility bill cancellations, and a wealth tax to deal with the financial impact of Covid-19 – similar to that of other countries...

52. But instead, in July, Chancellor Rushi Sunak announces up to £10 off your meal if you eat in during August. He also announces NHS parking charges will return in August too.

53. Starmer and his leadership team backed the Chancellor and refused to be drawn on a Wealth tax.

53. It’s Monday the 13th July 2020, approximately 50,000 covid-19 related deaths have now occurred due to this shambolic Government…

54. 100 days in and Sir Keir Starmer has announced no policies and Labour are an average of -6pts behind in the polls.

/end