Turns out, Sir Keir Starmer, the man at the helm of the Labour Party, is one of its most right-leaning MPs. Shocking? Perhaps not. Surprising?
A Study with Some Bite
Chris Hanretty, politics professor at Royal Holloway, University of London, led a study ranking MPs on a scale from 0 (che Guevara vibes) to 100 (Nigel Farage’s dream dinner guest). Over 1,000 local councillors rated their MPs, and Starmer clocked in at a moderate 48.
This places him firmly in the Commons’ centre ground but uncomfortably to the right of almost his entire Labour team. Yes, the leader of the so-called “workers’ party” is politically closer to middle England than to Marx.
Moving to the Right?
Starmer’s score has edged further to the right compared to last year. Could it be the result of some eyebrow-raising policies? Let’s recap:
- Winter Fuel Payments: Millions of pensioners saw their financial lifeline vanish.
- Waspi Women: No compensation for women hit hard by state pension changes.
Labour’s rank-and-file might be wincing, but Starmer’s not shy about leaning into his ‘pragmatic centrist’ image.
Meanwhile, in the Blue Corner…
Over in Toryland, Kemi Badenoch is charting her own course—one that veers well to the right of her party. With a score nearing Nigel Farage territory, Badenoch’s political leanings align closer to Reform UK than her fellow Conservatives.
And let’s not forget the far-right poster children of the study: Reform UK’s Rupert Lowe and the Tories’ Suella Braverman, each rocking a solid 95.
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