And this week's events are just dumping fuel on that fire.
It’s hard to pin down a definitive explanation for Tuesday’s late-night briefing war, in which No. 10 staff appear to have publicly accused the Health Secretary Wes Streeting (among other “feral MPs”) of plotting a coup against the Prime Minister. For many, the whole ordeal has made the Government look insecure and paranoid – and once again raised questions about Starmer’s Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney.
But whatever you think happened there, one thing is clear: to most of the public this looks like a government turning inward on itself, embroiled in internal squabbles and losing control of its own narrative. It’s exactly the kind of insular, dysfunctional, and party-first politics people thought they were voting to leave behind.
And on top of that this week – it really was one of those weeks – Downing Street is also under fire over comms director Tim Allan’s minority stake in a lobbying firm, after reports he discussed government business with a consultant there – prompting Greens, Lib Dems, and Conservatives to demand an investigation into a clear appearance of a conflict of interest.
It’s nothing like the cronyism and lies of the Johnson years or the chaos of Liz Truss, but it certainly isn’t a great look. Paired with ongoing events at the BBC, this week’s headlines are likely going to further cement the public’s cynicism – and give another boost to Nigel Farage waiting in the wings.
It cuts back to what we’ve been saying since Starmer took office: this country is running on a massive democratic deficit, a black hole of lost trust that threatens to engulf our politics completely. It’s not about individual leaders, but about the systems they operate in.
Westminster still rewards secrecy, insularity, and unaccountable power. Without acknowledging the need for a structural reset, Starmer’s ambitions to restore trust are unlikely to ever get off the ground.
That’s why Open Britain will keep fighting for the reforms that actually rebuild faith in politics: transparency, stronger standards, real accountability, and a proportional democracy that works for people, not parties, big donors, or insiders.
Real trust will only return when our political system is revamped to serve the public openly, honestly and fairly.
