This edition of Did They Do It is slightly different, as, not to discourage third party voters, only two candidates are being analysed. Because Rishi Sunak and Kier Starmer are (unfortunately) the two most likely men to be Prime Minister. John Swinney you’ve dodged a bullet this month.
Sitting down to write this edition of Did They Do It was definitely the most exhilarating time, because this is what it’s all been leading to. After months of lovely people indulging my furious confrontations of our leaders inadequacy, apathy, or unsurprising ability to let us all down, this time, we can actually do something about it. This time, my ranting and raving, and comparisons that leave me feeling like a bedraggled detective whose walls are covered in red string, can actually mean something. This time, you can vote to leave the people who have strung along voters with empty promises unemployed. Here’s the long-awaited (even just by me) issue of Did They Do It: General Election Special.
Rishi Sunak:
Sunak’s (in)ability to keep a promise will be measured on his promises delivered to the nation as his first speech as Prime Minister, as he’s never been (successfully) voted into his current position. As he promised to “unite our country, not with words, but with action”, he also promised “a stronger NHS”, “control of our borders”, “safer streets”, “better schools”, and to put “economic stability and confidence at the heart of this government’s agenda.” I’ll be honest, Ive never backed Rishi Sunak, but I have to admire his optimism, or if not that, his acting coach.
In addressing crime, most recent data shows its going up, with incidents reported to the police in England and Wales reaching 6.3 million in 2021-22, but increasing to 6.7 million during 2022-23. Now I’m not saying that’s a dramatic jump, but Rishi either hasn’t tried to address crime effectively, or even worse, he’s tried his best and its still gotten worse. Either way, he’s failed to deliver safer streets.
In terms of “controlling our borders”, Sunak has treated this promise like a one star rated horror film; proposed the most backwards, horrifying, and unthinkably inhumane concept in his promotional trailer of a promise, and left his target audience now filled with rage that Sunak has wasted their time and not delivered. Updates of the infamous flights to Rwanda have circled Sunak since their announcement, with the PM promising that flights will take place this summer. That was on the 22nd of April. On the 23rd of May, after setting an election date, he instead claimed that the flights will be delayed until after the election. Aye Rishi, I’m sure they will. I’m no psychic but I think (and hope) that these flights are never going to leave the ground. In terms of people actually coming in, 58 small boats were recorded to have crossed into the UK. In December 2022, it was 42. Congrats Rishi.
In regards to a “stronger NHS”, Rishi Sunak has failed. When he made these pledges in December 2022, 6.06 million people were on an NHS waiting list, and in March 2024 (latest figures available) it was recorded that 6.29 million are now waiting. There isn’t really much else to say on that matter, NHS waiting lists are a hot topic and a huge issue, that both the possible leaders have to address. Rishi Sunak has failed to fulfil this pledge.
Maths-loving Sunak set his heart on fixing the UK’s schools, aiming to make English and Maths compulsory at 18 and to scrap A-Levels. Teachers called the move “a misdirected fantasy”, which showed “just how out of touch this government has become with the teaching profession.” Ouch. He also plans to scrap all “rip-off” university degrees, based on job progression and drop-out rate. Maybe I’m a cynic, and as you can tell, not exactly a Rishi fan, but is this not just taking people out of education instead of finding a way to improve it?
Finally, I hate to say it, but Sunak has succeeded in fulfilling a pledge – halving inflation. When Sunak pledged to do this (December 2022), Consumer Price Index (CPI) sat at 10.7%, and by the end of 2023, it sat at 4.2%. For this, Rishi Sunak gets a 2/10, his lowest score so far.
Kier Starmer:
Going into a General Election, its hard to not see Kier as the Lemon and Herb of candidates. Sure, tolerable, but he’s no one’s first choice is he? But maybe that’s too harsh. Lemon and Herb fans, you stick by your order, and whilst I wouldn’t choose it myself, at least your consistent. I wonder what Kier Starmer’s Nando’s order is, because he definitely doesn’t share this virtue.
Kier Starmer’s section has always been my favourite to write, purely due to how much he seems to attract getting slagged off in his decisions. This almost makes you forget the undeniable betrayal he’s committed against leftists. His infamous 10 pledges that got him elected as Labour leader in 2020 attempted to cast him as a palatable Corbyn-type, which speak for themselves quite frankly, so I’ll just tell you what they are, and what Starmer says on them now. They are:
- economic justice
- social justice
- Climate justice
- Promote human rights and peace
- Common ownership
- Defend migrants rights
- Strengthen workers rights and trade unions
- Radical devolution of power, wealth, and opportunity
- Equality
- Effective opposition to the Tories
So lets explore this.
On economic justice, Starmer promised to “not back down from our core principles” and increase income tax for the top 5%, and increase taxes for big businesses, clamping down on avoidance. Now they criticise Rishi Sunak for a “high-tax, low income” economy. Kier Starmer, making a U-turn? Shocker. He’s now refusing to Rosalie income tax, and in regards to corporation tax, he says this: “For the period of the next parliament, Labour will also cap the headline rate of corporation tax at its current rate of 25 per cent, the lowest in the G7.” Socialists say ‘yippee’.
On social justice, Starmer promised to scrap tuition fees. Now, his education secretary cannot confirm that they won’t go up. He promised to scrap Universal Credit, it turns out now that it wont be abolished at all, just reformed. That was the promise. And it’s gone. Lying allegations 1 – 0 Kier Starmer.
On climate justice, Kier promised that “there is no issue more important to our future than the climate emergency”. Aye Kier you really showed that when you cut your climate changed fund in half. After promising he’d dedicate £28 billion per year to fighting climate change if elected, this number now stands at under £15 billion, only a third of which would be new money. Although to Kier’s credit, he does have a plan for once, to “Make Britain A Green Energy Superpower”, and whilst I have no reason to trust that this will go through; I’ll give Kier a half point on climate justice.
On human rights and peace, Starmer promised that wed have no more illegal wars, and would review all arm sales. Labour MPs have called for banning arm sales to Israel for months now, even Scottish Leader Anas Sarwar calling for them to stop. Starmer has called for the attacks on Rafah to stop, but he himself has not come out and called for arm sales to Israel to stop. Love a bit of consistency from you Kier, even if it is in your party begging for you to be a leftist and you blatantly ignoring them.
On common ownership, Kier Starmer’s new power generation company, Great British energy will be publicly owned, and Starmer has pledged to re-nationalise the train system in the next 5 years. I hate to give Kier Starmer credit for anything, but he wins points for sticking by this. However, allegations of privatisation in the NHS from the SNP are a severe blow, but these claims lack evidence. The Scottish Labour’s Deputy Leader Jackie Baillie called the allegations “outright lies to attack Labour”. So whilst, as I’m sure you can tell, I really love slagging off Kier Starmer, for once, I don’t have the evidence to do it with a shred of journalistic integrity. One point for Kier.
On defending migrants rights, Kier promised us an immigration system based on “compassion and dignity”. Now he wants to add “up a 1,000 strong Returns Unit to ensure failed asylum seekers and others with no right to be here are removed.” In addition, he wishes to end hotel uses for asylum seekers. It’s like we’re seeing a different man. This isn’t funny anymore. Its infuriating, it’s betrayal, Kier Starmer has the potential to make every new voter of the next generation as cynical as the generations before them.
For strengthening workers rights and trade unions, Labour do plan to raise the minimum wage to a real living wage, and abolish zero-hour contracts, which lines up with Kier’s promise to “tackle insecure work”. This is also the same guy that told his own MPs that they shouldn’t be on rail strike picket lines, and sacked a junior shadow transport minister for joining worker’s on the picket line. Trade unions are some of the biggest donors to the Labour Party. And now, Labour’s manifesto makes no reference to trade unions at all. Labour’s actions do not match up with their promises. Half point on economic justice, purely for the new promises he has made (not that he’s given us any reason to believe them).
“Radical devolution of power, wealth, and opportunity”. Sounds radical, doesn’t it? Or it would if any of it had a chance of coming true. Starmer has since dropped his promise to abolish the House of Lords, but he still stands by his commitment to devolution to communities, so here he’s given a half point, because he’s only stayed committed to half a promise.
On equality, Starmer’s success is hard to measure. The pledge itself was a bragathon, that Labour is the party of the Equal Pay Act, Sure Start, BAME representation, and he abolition of Section 28. Aye that’s all well and good Kier, shame that they all were passed before you were even elected and therefore, you don’t get the credit for any of that. In the meantime, Starmer has been accused of “throwing trans people under the bus” by trans journalists. Labour’s current “missions” make no mention of misogyny, racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, or religious discrimination. This pledge to carry on the legacy of the Labour Party in terms of equality has essentially been dropped.
Effective opposition against the Tories can only be known for sure when the results come in. Will Labour win back the Red Wall? We’ve seen Starmer’s fights against the Tories at PMQs and I’d say how you measure his success at that is subjective. Personally, I’d say it’s nothing special or out of the ordinary. Our Parliament generally descends into childish whatifery about migrants, the rights of trans women, one time, even Jimmy Saville. Because these are all normal and perfectly reasonable things to joke about on a national stage. Kier Starmer has won a grand total of two half points, and one full.
This leaves Kier Starmer and Rishi Sunak tied with a matching score of 2/10 each. These are the two men most likely to be Prime Minister. Yay.
NOTE: Usually, the accountability tracker follows a consistent grading system, seen at the bottom of each edition. However, due to the content of this article, edits have been made. Sunak is awarded 2 points per promise he has fulfilled, Starmer 1 point per promise (due to Rishi having 5 promises and Kier 10).