British politics is rotten to the core, with deceit, sleaze, and hypocrisy now woven into its very fabric.

The political class that occupies Westminster today is more detached from the electorate than ever before. It’s no longer shocking to expect underhand deals or moral bankruptcy from our so-called leaders. We only need to look back at the pandemic, a national crisis that exposed the utter disdain politicians have for the public. Dodgy contracts for Tory cronies, lockdowns enforced with draconian penalties while our leaders brazenly partied at Number 10. The hypocrisy was staggering.

Some Brits followed those rules with heartbreaking devotion, unable to say goodbye to dying loved ones. They did their duty, locked in their homes, while the very people who imposed those restrictions treated themselves to secret parties. It was a slap in the face to everyone who suffered through the pandemic, and it marked the high point of the Conservative Party’s descent into a cesspit of lies, corruption, and scandal.

And after 14 years of Conservative rule, Sir Keir Starmer claimed he would be different. He promised a fresh start, free from the rot that had set into Westminster. He claimed the adults were back in the room and that his government would “tread lightly on the lives of the people.” How laughable those claims look now.

Starmer’s leadership has revealed him as the very definition of hypocrisy. His approval ratings are plummeting, and rightly so. This man who postures as the great moral saviour of British politics and a paragon of virtue has raked in over £100,000 in freebies! More than any other MP since 2019. This, at a time when millions of Britons are struggling to make ends meet. When inflation is choking family budgets, energy prices are soaring, and pensioners are having their winter fuel allowance ripped

from them at the exact moment energy prices are set to rise another 10%. Meanwhile, MPs are claiming their energy bills on their expenses, of course. Nothing screams “we’re all in this together” like Parliament padding their pockets while pensioners freeze.

Starmer and his cronies are no different from the Tories they claim to despise. After all, power attracts the same type of political opportunist, regardless of party affiliation. Starmer campaigned on a platform of integrity, professionalism, and accountability. But let’s not kid ourselves — those promises were shredded and discarded the moment they became inconvenient.

Take his so-called campaign pledges, which were nothing more than catchy sound bites designed to grab headlines and usher him into Number 10. It was clear to many during the election that these were empty words. But now, in hindsight, it’s undeniable. “Smashing the gangs” was one such pledge, a promise to tackle illegal immigration and human trafficking. Yet, under Labour, the channel crossings have increased, with no coherent plan in sight. Just more of the same empty rhetoric.

Another doomed promise? Starmer’s pledge to deliver 2.5% economic growth. But with a gruelling budget on the horizon, the reality is that Labour is poised to announce higher taxes on employers.

This will choke small and medium-sized businesses who are the backbone of our economy, making it nearly impossible for them to start up or expand. It’s all talk and no action.

This kind of blatant dishonesty, where politicians make promises they never intend to keep, is nothing short of electoral fraud. Yet, it has become the norm. Starmer is playing the same tired game, using the public as pawns in his quest for power, just like the Conservatives before him.

So, is it time for Starmer to step down already? He hasn’t even delivered on his hollow campaign pledges, and rumours are swirling about Labour’s plan to push him out once he serves his purpose.

Will Starmer be replaced by someone even further left, picking up where Blair’s globalist agenda left off?

One thing is certain: Britain deserves better than this shameless parade of jackals and hypocrites. It’s time to drain the Westminster swamp, but merely replacing one charlatan with another won’t solve the problem. What Britain needs is a leader with the backbone to put the people’s interests first for once!

Richard Thomson was the Reform UK candidate for Braintree at the 2024 General Election.