A range of factors—including internal dynamics within the UK’s political system, candidate selection decisions, and the influence of social media—have been cited as contributing factors in the resignation of England’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Political Scientist Professor Hamid Ghany says that failing to adequately deliver on promises made to the electorate can be a major factor in political downfall.
Speaking on the TT morning show, he noted this issue appears to be central to the resignation of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, as public expectations and performance in office come under increased scrutiny.
“Three weeks in the new government in July and three weeks into their term of office they announced that they were going to —subsides for pensions and it was going to be withdrawn and that was an unforced error. It caused a large amount of controversy in the public domain. The party had suddenly made an unforced error which really didn’t need to make. And I think it started to spiral from there.”
The Professor added that his choice in political appointments created another setback, which further complicated the situation and contributed to mounting pressure on the leadership.
“The bid issue that really hurt his government was the nomination Lord Peter Mandelson to the Ambassador to Washington. And it has now emerged that there were all kinds of cutting corners in terms of the security vetting which was to take place. And then his identification with the Epstein files and his relationship with J. Epstein became hugely embarrassing to the PM.”
Professor Ghany said, additionally, England’s once-dominant two-party system has grown increasingly fragmented, with multiple parties now firmly positioned across both ends of the political spectrum.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that the influence of social media must not be underestimated.
“What you get now is instant news. I mean people are now news makers. They have it in their hands on the mobile phones and Facebook, and and Tick Tock and all of these social tools. And available to the average citizen who become a media maker.”
This immediacy and transparency fosters a political environment in which, as Professor Ghany cautions, survival ultimately hinges on a single key factor: delivering on promises and sustaining the trust of the electorate.
“There were many promises that were made that were not kept. There were too may U-Tuns. The PM changed his mind too many times. These were lots of things Labour said they weren’t going to do. They said they wouldn’t raise taxes and they raised taxes. When you break manifesto promises there’s a problem.”