It’s been a rough few days in Westminster, and the front pages aren’t letting anyone forget it.
Sir Keir Starmer has taken a battering this week, with several papers describing it as a “bruising week” for the Prime Minister. Between policy U-turns, backbench grumbling, and the relentless scrutiny that comes with running a country still very much in economic recovery mode, the honeymoon period feels like a distant memory. Some commentators are already questioning whether the initial optimism surrounding Labour’s landslide victory has fully evaporated.
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew is back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Calls are growing louder for him to be ordered to give evidence, with several papers leading on the story and public sentiment firmly in the “enough is enough” camp. The Duke of York has long maintained a studied silence on matters that much of the public feels deserve proper answers. Legal observers suggest that compelling his testimony would be deeply unusual, but not without precedent in extraordinary circumstances.
“The question isn’t whether it’s politically awkward,” one commentator noted, “it’s whether the public interest outweighs the discomfort.”
The timing is notable. With trust in institutions already fragile, both stories feed into a broader sense that those at the top, whether in politics or the palace, aren’t quite being held to the same standards as everyone else. It’s a feeling that sells papers, and for good reason.
The Daily Mail went hard on Starmer’s stumbles, while The Times led with the Andrew angle, framing it as a matter of accountability that simply can’t be indefinitely deferred. The Mirror did both, because of course it did.
What’s striking is how quickly the political weather can turn. Just months into a new government, the opposition benches are sharpening their knives, and the press is giving them plenty of material to work with.
Whether this is a temporary rough patch for Starmer or the beginning of something more sustained remains the real question. And as for Andrew, well, people have been asking that question for years now. Will this week be the one that finally changes something?
