Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing accusations of performing weekly policy U-turns, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claiming she welcomes a new government reversal "every week". However, Labour insiders argue the moves are a calculated strategy to shed unpopular policies and refocus public attention on the dominant issue of the cost of living crisis.
The 'Barnacle Scraping' Blueprint
The approach mirrors the strategy famously used by Australian political strategist Lynton Crosby for the Conservatives before the 2015 election. Dubbed "scraping the barnacles off the boat", it involved ditching policies that hindered electoral appeal to rigidly focus on core messages. Starmer has now explicitly directed his cabinet to concentrate every minute on the cost of living, warning that time spent on other issues is "wasted".
This directive has sanctioned a series of rapid policy reversals on plans that had become lightning rods for public discontent. The most recent is the abandonment of mandatory digital ID cards, following a fierce social media campaign and poor polling. The government will now explore alternative documents for proving the right to work.
A Growing List of Reversals
The digital ID U-turn is not an isolated incident. It follows the scrapping of proposed changes to farmers' inheritance tax and an expected retreat on business rates for pubs in the coming days. Furthermore, a plan to limit jury trials is likely to be watered down after significant backlash from MPs, peers, and legal professionals.
Ministers are keen to distinguish these reversals from the ongoing debate on banning social media for under-16s, a policy they insist is still under active consideration. One minister stated, "That's an issue to step into, rather than one we want to make go away."
Internal Tensions and Public Perception
While some in government defend the strategy as a necessary "ripping off the plaster", others voice deep concern. A cabinet minister admitted the flurry of U-turns raises serious questions about judgement and competence, stating, "The public isn't just questioning our values, they're questioning our competence... now it looks like we don't even have that."
Labour backbenchers are also growing frustrated, with one source warning that being "walked up the hill and walked back down again" repeatedly erodes loyalty and makes MPs less willing to publicly defend the government.
The criticism was crystallised during Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions, where Kemi Badenoch directly challenged Starmer. She pointedly asked if he agreed with his Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, that the government's new year resolution should be "to get it right first time" on policy.
Despite the internal and external criticism, Downing Street insiders defend the prime minister's focus on ensuring policies are effective. However, with crucial local elections in May looming, Starmer's team has little time to waste. The success of the Tory 'barnacle' strategy a decade ago is no guarantee it will work for Labour now, as they battle to reshape public perception and demonstrate a firm grip on governance.
