As a result, it had no mandate for what to do, as it had never told people in detail what it would do.
The party may have done that as the last election result was so disastrous that it looked as if it was almost mathematically impossible for Labour to win a majority, so they were trying to maximise support by saying nothing that would turn anyone off. They end up winning a landslide, not because they won support but because the opposition was so fragmented Labour won seats by default. That is the fatal flaw in First Past the Post. It can create gigantic landslides on support levels that in a far election system would have seen a party lose.
Thatcher 'won' an landslide election in 1983 despite its vote share declining simply because the opposition was split between Labour and the Liberal/SDP Alliance with the former on 27.6% and the latter on 25.4%. It was a landslide entirely created by the flaws in FPTP. Thatcher, Blair and Starmer won dubious landslides on percentages that in any democratic proportional system would have seen them at best in a minority government.
Starmer has been struggling from day 1 as voters had not given a specific mandate for detailed policies. He has also been struggling with a hostile media, many of whom were Corbyn supporters and from day one were gunning for Starmer as he had deposed their hero.
It is easy to chicken out of putting details in manifestos, but it usually comes back to haunt you. At least when you put details in manifesto, you can say to voters "I did say I would do this. It was in black and white in the manifesto." Putting details in manifestos also helps get through things in the Lords. Under the Salisbury convention, the Lords will not reject laws that implement manifestos.
Burnham shouldn't count his chickens to quick though. There is a strong possibility that he won't win that seat in the by-election. Labour did not win that seat comfortably in the landslide. It is a Reform stronghold. Other parties may not want him as leader of the Labour Party. So you may find some Tory voters and Lib Dem voters voting for the Reform candidate to keep Burnham out of Parliament.
Add to that there is the risk that Reform may win the Manchester mayoralty as it is a strong Reform area. The worst of all worlds for Labour would be to lose the by-election and the mayoralty to Reform and have a seriously weakened Starmer stay as leader. Streeting is unlikely to win. He has alienated even once close friends in how in government he walked all over them and turned friends into enemies. He used to dine with some senior close friends like Reeves. That all stopped when they found out he was bad-mouthing them. They are now out to stop him.
The party may have done that as the last election result was so disastrous that it looked as if it was almost mathematically impossible for Labour to win a majority, so they were trying to maximise support by saying nothing that would turn anyone off. They end up winning a landslide, not because they won support but because the opposition was so fragmented Labour won seats by default. That is the fatal flaw in First Past the Post. It can create gigantic landslides on support levels that in a far election system would have seen a party lose.
Thatcher 'won' an landslide election in 1983 despite its vote share declining simply because the opposition was split between Labour and the Liberal/SDP Alliance with the former on 27.6% and the latter on 25.4%. It was a landslide entirely created by the flaws in FPTP. Thatcher, Blair and Starmer won dubious landslides on percentages that in any democratic proportional system would have seen them at best in a minority government.
Starmer has been struggling from day 1 as voters had not given a specific mandate for detailed policies. He has also been struggling with a hostile media, many of whom were Corbyn supporters and from day one were gunning for Starmer as he had deposed their hero.
It is easy to chicken out of putting details in manifestos, but it usually comes back to haunt you. At least when you put details in manifesto, you can say to voters "I did say I would do this. It was in black and white in the manifesto." Putting details in manifestos also helps get through things in the Lords. Under the Salisbury convention, the Lords will not reject laws that implement manifestos.
Burnham shouldn't count his chickens to quick though. There is a strong possibility that he won't win that seat in the by-election. Labour did not win that seat comfortably in the landslide. It is a Reform stronghold. Other parties may not want him as leader of the Labour Party. So you may find some Tory voters and Lib Dem voters voting for the Reform candidate to keep Burnham out of Parliament.
Add to that there is the risk that Reform may win the Manchester mayoralty as it is a strong Reform area. The worst of all worlds for Labour would be to lose the by-election and the mayoralty to Reform and have a seriously weakened Starmer stay as leader. Streeting is unlikely to win. He has alienated even once close friends in how in government he walked all over them and turned friends into enemies. He used to dine with some senior close friends like Reeves. That all stopped when they found out he was bad-mouthing them. They are now out to stop him.
⏩ Jim Duffy is a writer-historian.
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