(VOR News) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer observed one hundred days of rule on Saturday with little to celebrate.

Starmer’s center-left Labour Party returned to power after 14 years in a landslide on July 4. Surveys show that Keir Starmer’s popularity has declined, and Labour is just marginally more popular than a Conservative Party that was rejected by voters after years of scandal and infighting, following weeks of feuding, freebies, and financial catastrophe.

“It’s hard to imagine a worse beginning,” said Queen Mary University of London political science professor Tim Bale.

“Your first impression of Keir Starmer matters.”

Keir Starmer won the election by promising to end years of turmoil and corruption under the Conservative regime, resuscitate the dying British economy, and fix public institutions like the NHS.

His administration claims to have made a good start by ending medical and railroad worker strikes, establishing a publicly traded green energy company, shelving the Conservative plan to send asylum seekers back to Rwanda, and protecting employee and tenant rights.

After years of Brexit debate, Keir Starmer has visited Washington, the UN, and major European capitals to show that “Britain is back”. However, the UK and its allies have struggled to impact the Middle East’s rising conflicts and Ukraine’s horrific war.

The new government had to deal with far-right-fueled anti-immigrant violence in England and Northern Ireland this summer. Keir Starmer called the rioters “mindless thugs” and pledged to arrest them. Out of over 800 court appearances, around 400 have been imprisoned.

The British economy, plagued by rising public debt and sluggish growth—0.2% in August, according to official statistics—is Starmer’s biggest challenge.

Before things improve, Keir Starmer warns they will be “tough in the short term.” He argues the Conservatives’ 22 billion pound ($29 billion) “black hole” in the public budget will curtail spending.

One of the government’s first measures was to eliminate a stipend to help millions of retirees stay warm in winter. Labour members and the public reacted strongly to it, even though it was designed to indicate that the administration was ready to make tough economic decisions.

Keir Starmer stole costly eyewear and apparel from a wealthy Labour donor.

Keir Starmer agreed to reimburse the guests for 6,000 pounds (nearly $8,000) in gifts and hospitality, including Taylor Swift tickets, despite her assurance that the presents were legal.

Advisors and government officials have blamed Downing Street Chief of Staff Sue Gray and her apparent conflicts with Labour campaign strategist Morgan McSweeney for the rocky start.

Gray resigned on Sunday after media attention revealed that she earned more than the prime minister. The information regarding her “had the potential to serve as a source of distraction.”

McSweeney succeeded her as Keir Starmer director of staff.

On the U.K. in a Changing Europe website, director Anand Menon said the administration made “avoidable mistakes” that propagated a “perception of incompetence and dysfunction.”

Treasury Chief Rachel Reeves’ first budget, due October 30, is now the government’s focus. The government hopes public and private investment will encourage economic growth, but billions are needed to complete the project. Reeves has refrained from hiking corporation, sales, or income taxes but has ruled out a “return to austerity”—a tricky balance. She may raise inheritance and capital gains taxes.

The administration hopes a strong economy and growing living standards will allow it to make tough decisions early and turn things around. Another election won’t be needed until 2029.

On his 100th day in office, Keir Starmer maintained his position at 10 Downing Street and refused to be “knocked off course.”

“There’s no avoiding these days and weeks when things are choppy,” he said. Governments work that way.

“It has significantly improved, but it’s also considerably more challenging than any prior experience.”

Bale believes the administration can regain trust by showing “not only that it has a plan to improve the country, but that it has a pretty dire inheritance.”

“In certain aspects, the vision has been deficient,” he stated. “I believe there is a lack of understanding among people regarding Keir Starmer or Labour.” Corrective action must be taken immediately.

SOURCE: CNBC

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Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales paid a surprise visit to Southport, northwest England, on Thursday, where they visited the relatives of three youngsters slain in a knife attack in July.

Catherine, often known as Kate, made her first public appearance after completing her chemotherapy treatment.

On July 29, Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, were tragically murdered while taking a Taylor Swift-themed dance lesson in the town.

The royal couple visited privately with the three young girls’ relatives and their dance teacher, who was there throughout the incident.

Kate Joins Prince William For Her First Public Appearance Since Ending Cancer Treatment

William and Kate, who have only made a few public appearances this year, also met with emergency workers who attended the site in July, as well as mental health professionals who have been assisting the “blue light” community in the months after.

During the highly emotional meeting, Kate told the responders, “I can’t underestimate how grateful they [the families] all are for the support you provided on the day,” according to Britain’s PA Media news agency. She thanked the frontline staff on behalf of the families.

Meanwhile, William, the heir to the British throne, addressed the group as “heroes” and advised them to “make sure you look after yourselves.”

“Please take your time, don’t rush back to work,” he went on.

Following their surprising appearance in Southport, William and Kate posted about their “powerful” visit on social media.

“We will continue to stand with everyone in Southport.” Meeting the community today was a strong reminder of the need to help one another in the aftermath of unspeakable sorrow. “You will be in our thoughts and prayers,” the couple said in a post on X.

At the time of the knife attack, the Waleses stated on social media from the standpoint of parents. “We cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends, and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through,” they said in July, before expressing their “love, thoughts, and prayers” and gratitude to emergency personnel.

The couple also donated through their royal foundation to a fundraiser set up to provide psychological and physical rehabilitation to police and paramedic professionals engaged in the attack and following disturbances.

CNN understands that the princess decided to accompany her husband on Thursday to demonstrate her support, understanding, and sympathy for the local population.

Kate, 42, has been gradually returning to public life since announcing in a video last month that she had completed chemotherapy and was cancer-free. She has not stated which type of cancer she is being treated for.

Kate Joins Prince William For Her First Public Appearance Since Ending Cancer Treatment

The princess stated that the previous nine months had been difficult, but that “I am, however, looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”

In recent weeks, she has held a series of meetings centered on her early childhood work and the forthcoming annual Christmas carol event.

She also paid a private visit to the English National Ballet a few weeks ago for a matinee performance, which she described as “moving and inspiring” on social media.

The Wales are not the only royals who have shown their solidarity for the grieving families and the Southport community. King Charles III paid a similar visit to the area in August to meet with those injured by the attack and thank first responders.

SOURCE | CNN

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican stated that Pope Francis will go to Belgium and Luxembourg later this week, after canceling all of his audiences on Monday due to a “slight flu-like state.”

Matteo Bruni, a Vatican spokesperson, stated that the cancellation affected only Monday’s audiences. He spoke with reporters before the official start of his Vatican briefing to provide details about the trip.

Earlier this morning, the Vatican stated that Francis had canceled his Monday audiences as a “precaution.”

Francis is scheduled to visit Luxembourg on Thursday before spending the rest of the week in Belgium, culminating with a Mass in Brussels on Sunday.

Vatican Confirms Plans For Belgium, Luxembourg Trip After Pope Cancels Audiences Due To Illness

The 87-year-old pope, who has been using a wheelchair for two years, has faced several health issues in recent years, including having part of one lung removed as a young man due to a respiratory ailment.

He has had a full schedule of audiences since returning from a four-nation, 11-day trip through Asia on September 13, the longest and farthest trip of his pontificate. The audiences have included many talks with visiting bishops, individual audiences with his Vatican aides, and a large gathering on Friday with members of popular movements.

The Holy See press office described Francis as being in a “flu-like state.” Francis had acute bronchitis and recurring attacks of influenza throughout the autumn and winter, forcing him to abandon a quick trip to Dubai in November to attend the United Nations climate conference.

According to the Vatican, he did so at the advice of his doctors.

In Belgium, Francis will commemorate the 600th anniversary of the country’s main Catholic universities and minister to Belgians who have been shaken by years of persistent disclosures of clergy sexual abuse and cover-ups.

The rigorous Asia journey, followed by visits to Belgium and Luxembourg, was already going to put Francis’ health to the test, especially as he enters a hectic autumn season. As soon as he returns from Belgium, he will preside over a three-week synod, or bishops’ assembly, that will include long days of closed-door discussion over the church’s future.

Vatican Confirms Plans For Belgium, Luxembourg Trip After Pope Cancels Audiences Due To Illness

On Monday, Francis had scheduled audiences with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, who are meeting at the Vatican this week for their plenary assembly, as well as participants in a Christmas contest. The Vatican revealed the texts that Francis was meant to have given to both.

Francis has experienced various health issues in recent years. In 2023, he spent three days in the hospital receiving intravenous antibiotics for a respiratory infection. In 2021, he had 13 inches (33 centimetres) of his colon removed, followed by another surgery two years later to treat an abdominal hernia and remove scar tissue.

SOURCE | AP