There is no sugar coating it — the local elections were a terrible night for Sir Keir Starmer
THE votes are all in and there is no sugar coating it — the local elections were a terrible night for Sir Keir Starmer.
Council after council across Labour’s once impenetrable Red Wall — as well as their ultra-safe seat of Runcorn — fell to Nigel Farage’s Reform.
Voters are angry and hungry for change.
That’s why they sent the Tories packing last year.
Sir Keir Starmer has been put on notice, but how can the PM turn things around?
He should begin with the cut to the winter fuel allowance for pensioners.
The policy is a disaster on the doorstep.
Labour MPs loathe it too — with some even warning it could be their “poll tax moment”.
No10 should ditch it for good.
But Sir Keir must do more than tinker with the odd policy.
As Labour peer Lord Glasman sets out today, he must crack on with far-reaching reform.
He must begin with immigration.
No10 is setting out its border plan in the coming weeks and is promising an end to the “soft touch” system.
But the time for talk is over — it must impose real restrictions to bring numbers right down.
Also, the Net Zero dash is raising prices and costing jobs.
No one voted for that.
And most importantly, No10 must revive the economy.
Businesses must be freed from red tape, not taxed into oblivion.
Lord Glasman called the May Day poll drubbing a “distress signal” for Labour.
He’s right.
Sir Keir must heed the warning.
Our nation’s pride
THE country will proudly celebrate the courage and resilience of the World War Two generation tomorrow with a parade and spectacular flypast over the Mall.
Sadly, the number of those still alive who actually experienced VE Day 80 years ago is already vanishingly small.
But the reasons for continuing to salute them are more important than ever with Europe’s borders under threat.
The spirit of national unity on VE Day was powerfully conveyed by Sir Winston Churchill, whose words will be movingly recreated by actor Timothy Spall.
Those values will also be reflected in the presence of the King, who will watch from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
His mother, the late Queen, appeared there to cheers on VE Day in 1945.
Later that evening, the then Princess Elizabeth, just 19 years old, slipped out incognito to mingle with the public as people nationwide, weary from years of bombing and rationing, shared a moment of hope.
We wish our readers a fantastic bank holiday tomorrow.
However you spend it, please take a moment to reflect on the sacrifices made for us by that previous generation.