‘Unambitious’, ‘careful’, ‘authentic’: what public sector workers make of Keir Starmer

The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, promised in an interview with Sky News last month, that a Labour government “will properly fund our public services. I believe in our public services.”

But to what extent do public sector workers believe in him? The Guardian has spoken to health workers, teachers, social workers and local government officials who mostly expressed muted support for Starmer. Many said they wanted a bolder and more radical vision from Labour after years of austerity.

Others said they were planning not to vote for the party for the first time, because they believe Starmer has moved Labour too far from its traditional leftwing values.

Amanda Lyons , 66, a children’s social worker in Cardiff, said she had been a loyal Labour voter but would not vote for them this time. While this was partly due to the vagueness of Labour’s plans for public services, the key factors for her were Starmer’s failure to condemn Brexit and to describe the killings of Palestinians in Gaza as a genocide.

Lyons said: “Starmer’s trying to make Labour as big as possible, by widening the party so much that it can include anybody. But if you’re not going to take [a stance] about important moral values and issues, what does it say about him and his party? He’s so obsessed about getting into power that he’s just not prepared to say anything that’s going to wind any particular group up.

“I don’t want a Tory government but my conscience won’t let me vote for Labour.”

Andrew Lynch , 70, a semi-retired primary school teacher from Mitcham in London, said he respected that Starmer was playing a “careful game” in order to get elected, and was “desperate not to make any mistakes”.

Lynch, who works for a multi-academy trust, said he saw Starmer’s bland reputation as a positive after Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. “Frankly, after the buffoons, we’ve had governing us over the last few years, I feel that what we need is grown-up government. He might be quite quiet. He might not be quite fiery, but he is authentic.”

Louise , 40, a deputy headteacher from Essex, said she thought Starmer was wise to set out careful and cautious policy positions. “I do feel quite positive because I think he’s managing expectations,” she said.

However, she hopes that his seemingly bland vision is just the starting point for a Labour government. “What I hope is that he does become bolder as the situation improves.”

Margaret, 50, a town planner from Kent, felt similarly. “Starmer’s political vegetable broth,” she added. “The Tories have been sugar-laden cakes and jellies and foie gras and caviar, and we’ve all got a sore tummy. We need some bread and butter, and some plain soup.”

Dr Jason Holdcroft , 42, a consultant NHS psychiatrist from Derbyshire, said he was “deeply disappointed by [Starmer’s] rejection of the radical and transformational plans and values that he campaigned for in 2019”, when serving as shadow Brexit secretary under Jeremy Corbyn.

However, he hopes that this is simply political pragmatism. “I hope that’s not too charitable an assessment: that he’s tied himself up by going all out to win this election, which is understandable.”

On a more positive note, Holdcroft said he thought Starmer has genuine concern for the welfare of the less fortunate. “I hope I’m not deluding myself,” he added, “but I do think he genuinely wants to see tax reform to be able to properly fund public services. I am confident that we will at least see some genuine integrity and not the shameless profiteering of the Tories.”

Georgia Nicholls , 25, a local government officer from Grantham, said that while Starmer “doesn’t really come across as a visionary or particularly charismatic”, she respected that he was being strategic to win power.

She voted Conservative in 2019, partly because she did not feel comfortable voting for Corbyn. She praised Starmer’s focus on making Labour more electable, adding that his pragmatism had made it harder for the Conservatives and the media to score “cheap points”, such as accusations that Corbyn did not bow properly at the cenotaph .

Jamie , 28, a firefighter from London, said his support for Labour in this election was largely based on its commitment to repeal the Conservatives’ anti-union laws .

He said he initially thought Starmer would be neoliberal like Tony Blair, but the firefighter now thinks he will be more focused on improving the welfare state, due to policies such as a national wealth fund.

However, he is still not clear what Starmer stands for: “I’ve seen him have a party political broadcast with Gary Neville . I don’t know what that was all about – are you trying to get tradesmen who watch football to vote Labour? But he didn’t really say anything about public services, or what he’s actually going to do to make England feel like a nice place to live.”

Lauren Ellis , 45, a secondary school teacher from Kettering, Northamptonshire, said she would be voting for Labour only to get the Conservatives out in her constituency.

“Starmer’s vision is so unambitious. There is no more ‘left’ in the Labour party, Starmer has made sure to stamp it out. The poor, the disabled, the young, the vulnerable and all the other groups that need help have no one to advocate for them.”

Andy, a sixth-form lecturer from Stoke-on-Trent, said he thought that Starmer had unduly received “harsh treatment for being boring”. He said the Labour leader should “own that rather than trying to prove he’s not”.

However, he was concerned by Starmer’s willingness to abandon radical reform in favour of positions “that are going to get more centre to right Conservatives, and maybe even some Reform voters onboard”.

Although the teacher feels more attuned to the Greens and the Lib Dems, he feels supporting them would be a wasted vote in his constituency. He added: “I probably will end up voting Labour. But I’ll need a shower after I’ve done it.”