Keir Starmer has been a disappointment as UK prime minister at almost every level and the chances that he will still be in office this July to celebrate the second anniversary of his overwhelming general election victory appear remote.

His appalling decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to Washington would probably have been enough to cost him his job on its own, but one further disaster has been following another over recent months.

While Labour’s failure to defend the previously safe seat of Gorton and Denton in Manchester had been predicted, the scale of last week’s by-election defeat was widely regarded as a humiliation and went well beyond the normal setbacks experienced by mid-term administrations,

The party was pushed back into a distant third place, saw its share of the vote drop by almost 50 per cent since 2024 and was completely outflanked by a previously unknown Green candidate who seemed much more in tune with the public mood on the environment, the cost of living and Palestine.

Sophie Clarke: The Belfast buildings we walk past every day – and why they must be saved

Fabien McQuillan: What I have learned about farmers from living in Co Tyrone

Labour still could have had a strong prospect of retaining its grip on the constituency by fielding the astute and well-regarded Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, but the prime minister, plainly fearing a forthcoming leadership challenge, managed to block his candidacy, and must now face the consequences.

Although Mr Starmer still deserves credit for transforming Labour’s prospects after 14 years in opposition, as a latecomer to elected politics, after a previous career as Director of Public Prosecutions, he frequently displayed a bland approach to a range of issues and seemed increasingly ill-suited to his role.

He took little serious interest in Irish affairs, even though as a former adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board, he could have made a telling intervention on a number of fronts, particularly over the way in which the abandonment of the PSNI’s 50/50 recruitment policy is having such dire consequences.

Mr Starmer gave the impression that he was a low key but instinctive unionist, and studiously avoided contributing to the growing debate over the circumstances in which a border referendum might be staged.

He can cling to office for another few weeks, but his career simply cannot survive the the kind of hammering which he is likely to receive when the British local government elections take place in May.

The Labour Party contains many senior activists who understand the powerful arguments in favour of asking voters to comprehensively assess the key factors and decide on Ireland’s constitutional future.

They do not include Mr Starmer, but, although the crisis in the Middle East may delay developments, all the indications are that, at 63, he will be heading towards retirement soon rather than later.

If you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article and would like to submit a Letter to the Editor to be considered for publication, please click here.

Letters to the Editor are invited on any subject. They should be authenticated with a full name, address and a daytime telephone number. Pen names are not allowed.

© The Irish News