Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch said Prime Minister Keir Starmer is "in office but not in power" on Wednesday [1].
The comment follows a period of significant political instability for the Labour Party, suggesting that the Prime Minister lacks the actual authority to execute his legislative agenda despite holding the top position in government.
Badenoch said the remarks shortly after the King's Speech, which outlined the government's legislative plans for the upcoming term [1]. She pointed to recent electoral failures as evidence of Starmer's weakened position, saying that Labour suffered a historic defeat in local elections held the week of May 6-12 [1, 2].
Internal pressure within the Labour Party has intensified as a result of these losses. According to reports, at least 80 Labour MPs have called on Starmer to address leadership concerns [2]. This growing discontent among his own party members fuels the argument that the Prime Minister is struggling to maintain a cohesive governing coalition.
While Badenoch characterizes the Prime Minister as powerless, other reports indicate a different reality. The BBC said that Starmer set out the government's plans after the King's Speech, which suggests he is exercising full governmental authority [2].
Badenoch's critique focuses on the gap between formal title and political influence. She said that the scale of the local election defeat has stripped the Prime Minister of the mandate required to lead effectively [1].
“"Starmer is in office but not in power."”
The tension between the formal authority of the Prime Minister's office and the political capital derived from electoral success is at the center of this dispute. If a significant bloc of MPs continues to challenge Starmer's leadership, his ability to pass legislation through Parliament may be compromised regardless of the agenda set during the King's Speech.
