As Labour heads for a wipeout, a lesson emerges: never fall for the 'adults in the room' line again. Presenting himself as a serious, sensible 'grownup' was essential to Keir Starmer's rise to power, but his premiership has revealed how hollow that message truly is.
The Rise of the 'Grownup' Narrative
In 2024, when Labour entered Downing Street, Darren Jones exulted that 'the adults are back in the room.' After trimming major pledges like the Green New Deal, Starmer and his team marketed themselves not on policy but on vibes—serious, sensible, businesslike. Andrew Marr summed up the mood: 'For the first time in many of our lives, Britain looks like a little haven of peace and stability.'
The Hollow Promise
Less than two years later, Labour faces an epic disaster in local elections. If Starmer is ousted, the UK will have discarded more prime ministers than Italy since Theresa May took office. The 'adult' label, a conman's compliment in Westminster, masks an ideology that avoids troubling the rich and powerful. It praises those who declare themselves 'pro-business and pro-worker' without flinching at the contradiction.
Historical Context
This rhetoric often emerges when political authority breaks down. During Europe's debt crisis, Christine Lagarde called for dialogue with 'adults in the room,' sidelining critics like Yanis Varoufakis. In 2017, Donald Trump's 'adult' advisors were meant to keep him in check. In Britain, after banking crashes, Brexit, and a pandemic, Starmer promised a new 1945 but instead focused on appearing mature, mouthing deflated slogans like 'delivery, delivery, delivery.'
Voter Discontent
Commentators will note Starmer's lack of vision, but he eschewed vision to gain power. His lack of politics was a precondition for being seen as no threat. Voters, treated as children, are told why they can't have what they want. The breakdown of the two-party system, evident in 2024 and key in these local elections, shows voters no longer consent. Reform, Greens, and nationalists gain ground by naming a broken system.
The System Fails
Labour's program assumed the system worked—that foreign money would flow, the economy would lead the G7, and state machinery would run smoothly. None of that happened, leaving the 'adults' blaming Starmer. His successor cannot promise business as usual but is limited by a narrow mandate. Andy Burnham, for instance, faces challenges from Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, who will note he wasn't even elected an MP in 2024.
Conclusion
The 'adult politics' pose leaves a government with binned premises, exhausted alibis, and mutinous voters. Ministers can throw out the leader but cannot easily escape the ideology that put them in power. The political stakes remain high, but it's the grownups who got small.
