In politics as in medicine, if you can figure out the problem you may be able to find a cure. So what exactly is British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s problem? He has an overwhelming majority in the Westminster Parliament, another four years in power, improving relations with the European Union and has secured a degree of US President Donald Trump’s attention in a dangerous world.
In some ways, Mr Starmer could be a reasonably happy man at the end of his first year in Downing Street. Yet, news headlines are full of Mr Starmer’s “U-turns” on policy, based on rebellions or threatened rebellions in his own Labour party. This, and the abysmal performance of the Conservative party has contributed to disenchanted voters searching for change.
Some tell opinion pollsters they may support Nigel Farage’s latest right-wing political vehicle, Reform, at the next election. Newspaper commentaries sometimes conclude that Mr Starmer is not quite up to the job and suggest Mr Farage could be the next British prime minister, even though Reform has only five MPs and the Labour has more than 400 in the 650-member Parliament. Nevertheless, something big is churning in UK politics.
There's a reason why Labour is so alarmed right now by Nigel Farage’s Reform party
The previous 14 years of Conservative rule are widely regarded – even privately by some Conservatives themselves – as often a shambles. Labour attracted voters in the 2024 general election in part because they were the only real alternative to more Conservative failures. Voters in democracies often just want a change. Labour won the 1997 General Election under Tony Blair because voters were fed up with the Conservatives.
By the 2010 election they were tired of Labour. In 2025, it is clear that large sections of British voters are now tired of both Labour and the Conservatives, and are thinking Reform might be worth a look. In opinion polls, Reform is often marginally leading the others and taking most of its votes from disaffected former Conservatives.
But opinion polls almost four years before another general election are little more than talking points rather than decisive endorsements of Mr Farage or Reform party policies (whatever they may be).
As I travel the country on a book tour talking with audiences about what might be wrong with Britain, one common theme is that we no longer have a “two-party system” but we have an antiquated “first-past-the-post” voting system which is obviously unfair.
Labour and the Conservatives for years divided power between themselves. But in 2025 Liberal Democrats, Greens, Reform, plus parties in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all demonstrate that the UK is nowadays a complex multi-party democracy with a sclerotic electoral system out of step with every democracy in Europe.
We are sometimes taught at school that the British system is “the envy of the world”. It isn’t. European countries have their political problems but generally they have different types of proportional representation (PR) systems. That means voters do not feel their vote can be “wasted” as it may be in the British system where an MP can be elected with only, say, a third of the votes because the other two thirds are split between several rival parties. Even within the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have PR systems. If a fairer system works for them, why is England left out?
In researching my latest book, Britain is Better Than This, I asked former British officials that question repeatedly. In the 1990s, some thought Labour would switch to proportional representation. Mr Blair won a landslide in 1997 and, as the former officials told me, he decided not to change a system that had made him prime minister. Mr Starmer is in a similar position.
The antiquated British system meant last year he won an astonishing two thirds of the seats in Parliament based on just one third of the votes. But that’s why Labour is so alarmed right now by Mr Farage’s Reform party. Opinion polls put Reform on a third of the votes. That means under the current system Reform could win a landslide of seats with support from just a third of voters at the next election.
The lessons are obvious. Just enough British voters currently dislike both Labour and the Conservatives to switch to Reform and give Mr Farage as huge a majority as Mr Starmer now enjoys and Mr Blair had in 1997. That’s just the way the British system works, although in talking to voters across the UK I’m convinced a majority of them do not think this system works for them.
Mr Starmer could therefore make history by committing to ending the antiquated and undemocratic British voting system. There is a downside, for him if not for the country: it might be difficult for Labour, the Conservatives, Reform or any other party to win a landslide majority.
Instead, the British Parliament would more closely reflect the differences and divisions among British voters. And what would be wrong with that? Isn’t that what democracies are supposed to be about?
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Second Test
In Dubai
Pakistan 418-5 (declared)
New Zealand 90 and 131-2 (follow on)
Day 3: New Zealand trail by 197 runs with 8 wickets remaining
Match statistics
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 36 Bahrain 32
Harlequins
Tries: Penalty 2, Stevenson, Teasdale, Semple
Cons: Stevenson 2
Pens: Stevenson
Bahrain
Tries: Wallace 2, Heath, Evans, Behan
Cons: Radley 2
Pen: Radley
Man of the match: Craig Nutt (Harlequins)
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 849Nm
Range: 456km
Price: from Dh437,900
On sale: now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Understand What Black Is
The Last Poets
(Studio Rockers)
FIGHT CARD
From 5.30pm in the following order:
Featherweight
Marcelo Pontes (BRA) v Azouz Anwar (EGY)
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) v Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Welterweight
Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR) v Gimbat Ismailov (RUS)
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) v Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (BEL) v Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
Catchweight 100kg
Mohamed Ali (EGY) v Marc Vleiger (NED)
Featherweight
James Bishop (AUS) v Mark Valerio (PHI)
Welterweight
Gerson Carvalho (BRA) v Abdelghani Saber (EGY)
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) v Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Bantamweight:
Fabio Mello (BRA) v Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magemedsultanov (RUS)
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) v Jayson Margallo (PHI)
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) v Roman Golovinov (UKR)
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
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%3Cp%3EYears%3A%20October%202015%20-%20June%202024%3Cbr%3ETotal%20games%3A%20491%3Cbr%3EWin%20percentage%3A%2060.9%25%3Cbr%3EMajor%20trophies%3A%206%20(Premier%20League%20x%201%2C%20Champions%20League%20x%201%2C%20FA%20Cup%20x%201%2C%20League%20Cup%20x%202%2C%20Fifa%20Club%20World%20Cup%20x1)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Brief scores:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
About Seez
Company name/date started: Seez, set up in September 2015 and the app was released in August 2017
Founder/CEO name(s): Tarek Kabrit, co-founder and chief executive, and Andrew Kabrit, co-founder and chief operating officer
Based in: Dubai, with operations also in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon
Sector: Search engine for car buying, selling and leasing
Size: (employees/revenue): 11; undisclosed
Stage of funding: $1.8 million in seed funding; followed by another $1.5m bridge round - in the process of closing Series A
Investors: Wamda Capital, B&Y and Phoenician Funds
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
MATCH INFO
Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')
Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')
Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Brief scores:
Toss: Rajputs, elected to field first
Sindhis 94-6 (10 ov)
Watson 42; Munaf 3-20
Rajputs 96-0 (4 ov)
Shahzad 74 not out
