Will the UK Budget Appease Labour’s Left?

Watch Will the UK Budget Appease Labour’s Left? - AlArabiya English on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00And you know, we talked about this budget being leaky. And also, I think, Leon, it's fair to say

00:06that the Labour Party has had a pretty tricky few months. You know, we did have a little bit of

00:13rumour that there could be a coup at the top that was dispelled. And do you think this budget will

00:19appease the left of the Labour Party? Because I think right now, many people are saying this

00:24budget was really to save Keir Starmer's skin. Yeah, there's a little bit of that. I think most

00:31people will be looking at the budget and seeing where the real windows are. And it is those MPs

00:36who have been championing some of those causes, like raising the two child benefit cap, who are

00:42on the left of the party. And I think it's quite extraordinary because this is a Labour Party that

00:47was elected. Many, a majority of 180, which I think gives them the ability, one would think

00:56from the outside, the ability to act as they want. They don't have to be held hostage by their

01:02backbench MPs. But I think that political pressure on the Prime Minister, on Rachel Reeves, they're

01:08having to manage the party, they're having to put party management above governing in terms of the

01:14interests of the country. And I think that's why we are seeing such a departure from what Labour said

01:19they would do before the election, to what they are doing now they're actually in government. And I

01:25think this will dispel some of that pressure from the backbenchers of the Labour Party. But I think

01:30the next big flashpoint will be in the local elections here in May, where the public will have their say on

01:36how well or not the Labour Party are doing. I think if we look at the polls right now, it shows a very

01:41unpopular government of the pressure back on to Keir Starmer in May. So it may have brought him a little

01:48bit of breathing space. But I think there will be another flashpoint where his leadership is questioned

01:53in just a few months' time.