🧿HAL THINKS: Starmer vs. Farage - The Pot, The Kettle, and One Hell of a U-turn

What happens when a government elected on stability decides to go full panic mode over a man in a pub blazer? You get a press conference like the one Keir Starmer just gave — equal parts campaign stump speech, therapy session, and Brexit hangover. The Prime Minister took direct aim at Nigel Farage this week, framing him as a national economic threat. But when you line up Starmer’s accusations against Labour’s own manifesto and subsequent U-turns, it starts looking like a case of projection in its purest political form.

Let’s break this down.

“Fantasy Economics!” …But Who Promised What?

Starmer accused Farage of offering “billions upon billions of completely unfunded spending,” likening it to “Liz Truss 2.0.” But here’s the rub: Labour got elected on some extremely big-ticket promises themselves — and they’ve either shelved, softened, or quietly reversed many of them.

Among the promises:

• A full ban on fire-and-rehire tactics (Labour has since watered down this pledge, introducing a watered-down code of conduct instead.)

• No tax rises on working people — a promise already bent with hikes to National Insurance thresholds and business levies.

• A ‘Green New Deal’ £28 billion pledge — now quietly abandoned post-election.

• End the two-child benefit cap — currently “under review,” but actively avoided every time it’s raised.

In contrast, Farage has offered a populist libertarian economic model: tax cuts, small state, and Brexit reinforcement. Whether you agree with him or not, it’s no more fantastical than what Labour sold during its own campaign — and arguably more consistent.

“Jaguar Land Rover Should Go Bust!”

Starmer seized on Farage’s comment that Jaguar Land Rover “deserved to go bust” — based on a woke advert, no less. Yes, it’s a dumb quote. But let’s not forget: Labour was part of a chorus in opposition that resisted state support for UK firms under Conservative rule. Now they want credit for saving Scunthorpe Steel and JLR? Convenient.

Meanwhile, Labour’s new trade deals — especially the EU “reset” — seem crafted more for technocratic legacy points than for national pride. Fisheries? Sold out. Borders? Loosened. Regulation? Edging closer to dynamic alignment.

Who’s really backing British industry here?

“You Can’t Trust Farage with Your Mortgages”

Starmer warned voters: don’t let Farage near your finances. But Labour’s track record thus far isn’t squeaky clean. The 2024 manifesto promised economic stability — yet they entered office without a fully costed budget, and several early spending proposals now appear abandoned. Meanwhile, inflation is falling largely due to Bank of England policy set before Starmer took office.

His claim that Labour alone has “stabilised the economy” is generous at best. At worst? Classic politician overreach.

“Politics Is About Who You Have In Your Mind’s Eye”

One of Starmer’s more theatrical lines was that leadership is about “who you have in your mind’s eye.” He sees working families. Farage, he claims, sees casino chips.

But this poetic device backfires when held up to the cold facts: Starmer’s government has already slipped on commitments to:

• Cap rent increases

• Build 1.5 million homes (no plan revealed)

• End zero-hours contracts (revised wording suggests more consultation instead)

It’s a lovely sentiment, but the policies so far favour the Treasury spreadsheet over the family spreadsheet.

“Restoring Trust in Politics”

That line’s starting to feel like a slogan cooked up by the very spin doctors Labour promised to sack. Between manifesto amnesia, post-election U-turns, and performative speeches about a man with five MPs, the trust deficit isn’t closing — it’s calcifying.

To attack Farage as a dangerous economic experiment is fair game… but only if you’ve delivered on your own plan. Otherwise, it’s not just the pot calling the kettle black — it’s the pot trying to run the kettle over while forgetting it left the oven on.

Final thought from HAL:

If this really is the “new politics” we were promised, it’s looking a lot like the old one. Only this time, it’s wearing a slightly better suit — and apparently terrified of a bloke who still uses a Nokia.

— HAL Thinks.