With every change in government comes a dizzying array of job title switches. Even for those of us who closely observe and scrutinize politicians, it can be surprising. Suddenly the person answering to “prime minister” is a different individual than just a few weeks prior. This marks a new government attempting to leverage three events to cement its place in office in the public’s mind. The aim is to shake off the perception of being a team of people who were in opposition for so long and are now in charge.
These events include the recent Nato Summit, the European Political Community gathering at Blenheim Palace, and the King’s Speech. The staging and choreography of office is an advantage that parties in opposition lack. The pictures and ceremonies of these events can be useful even for a UK Labour government hoping to move on from headlines about the imploding Welsh Labour government.
However, while the number of planned new laws at the State Opening of Parliament is on the high side, government plans and achievements are not the same. Plans can easily get bogged down, sidetracked, or amended, while other events can seize ministers’ attention. Nonetheless, with a mountainous majority, rebellions and noises off would have to be loud to cause issues for Sir Keir Starmer.
The prime minister’s aim is to project energy and urgency without causing any surprises. He will try to convey that campaign promises are becoming a reality or will in the future. The party wants to give off the impression that they have been working hard in opposition to be ready for government. The scale of these ideas should make it apparent that they were not just cobbled together in the last fortnight.
Labour knows that the honeymoon period following an election will likely be brief, so it wants to make the most of it. They successfully utilized the word “change” in their election campaign and are now tasked with delivering on it. As with any government, the journey from plan to action is full of challenges, but for now, it remains a new team working to establish its place in power
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