As Labour heads for a wipeout, a lesson: never fall for the 'adults in the room’ line again | Aditya Chakrabortty

Presenting himself as a serious, sensible ‘grownup’ was essential to Starmer’s rise to power. His premiership has revealed how hollow that message is Some big questions will be asked this weekend – about how Labour fell so far so fast, about when Keir Starmer goes and who takes his place – but at least one big thing will be clear: never entrust your country to people who keep insisting they’re grown up. Think back to 2024 and the birth of Starmer’s government. “The adults are back in the room,” exulted Darren Jones as Labour went marching into Downing Street. Having chopped the party’s largest pledges into little pieces (Goodbye, Green New Deal!

Farewell, securonomics!), the single greatest qualification Starmer, Jones and co had for office was not policy, but vibes. Labour would own the mien of production. Aditya Chakrabortty Presenting himself as a serious, sensible ‘grownup’ was essential to Starmer’s rise to power. His premiership has revealed how hollow that message is S ome big questions will be asked this weekend – about how Labour fell so far so fast, about when Keir Starmer goes and who takes his place – but at least one big thing will be clear: never entrust your country to people who keep insisting they’re grown up. Think back to 2024 and the birth of Starmer’s government.

“The adults are back in the room,” exulted Darren Jones as Labour went marching into Downing Street. Having chopped the party’s largest pledges into little pieces (Goodbye, Green New Deal! Farewell, securonomics!), the single greatest qualification Starmer, Jones and co had for office was not policy, but vibes. Labour would own the mien of production. In their bid for power, Labour frontbenchers instead talked more about how adult they were.

This weekend the scapegoat will be Starmer. The political stakes in Britain remain big. Explore more on these topics Share Reuse this content Presenting himself as a serious, sensible ‘grownup’ was essential to Starmer’s rise to power. His premiership has revealed how hollow that message is Some big questions will be asked this weekend – about how Labour fell so far so fast, about when Keir Starmer goes and who takes his place – but at least one big thing will be clear: never entrust your country to people who keep insisting they’re grown up. Think back to 2024 and the birth of Starmer’s government.

“The adults are back in the room,” exulted Darren Jones as Labour went marching into Downing Street. Having chopped the party’s largest pledges into little pieces (Goodbye, Green New Deal! Farewell, securonomics!), the single greatest qualification Starmer, Jones and co had for office was not policy, but vibes. Labour would own the mien of production. As Labour heads for a wipeout, a lesson: never fall for the 'adults in the room’ line again | Aditya Chakrabortty