All this only underlines the frailty of Starmer’s, and Labour’s, position. The party’s ruling circle are increasingly taking decisions on the basis of trying to save the prime minister’s job. Eighteen months after winning a resounding electoral majority, Starmer’s flailing performance has made him the least popular premier in memory. Since Starmer seems unable to hold Labour’s majority together whenever he tries to drive through difficult but necessary policies, he can arguably no longer fulfil a prime minister’s core function.