Now that Keir Starmer’s managed even longer in the top job than Liz Truss, he’s learning the hard way exactly what a mountain he has to climb. The rows rage on about how much he knew in advance about the public finances, but, as our political correspondent Peter Spencer reports, all too many other pitfalls are becoming glaringly apparent.
First and hardest to miss is what came in tandem with his tough line on the post-Southport racist rioters. By administering the speediest of speedy justice and banging offenders up he nipped that problem in the bud.
However, the display of ruthless efficiency also exposed the reason why so many of the thugs thought they had nothing much to fear from the Old Bill.
It’s not just that fewer than one in ten crimes in England and Wales actually gets solved, there’s hardly anywhere to lock fresh offenders up in anyway.
Hence the new policy of creating more space by letting many old lags out before they’ve even done half their time.
But even that won’t kick in for a few weeks yet. Which is why one of the country’s top judges has now ordered magistrates not to put anyone behind bars for the time being. Not even newly arrested rioters.
In an age where opinion polls increasingly help shape the narrative, it’ll be a worry for the new government waiting to see how long they can point the finger at the last lot before voters start thinking everything’s their fault.
Which is one reason why they’ve certainly got a wiggle on with doing something about small boat arrivals.
It’s worth remembering that asylum seekers who risk their lives crossing the channel only make up a tiny fraction of the people who come here, with official blessing, to fill gaps in the labour market. Notably in the medical and care sectors.
It’s also worth remembering that two-thirds of those who arrive pleading for refugee status or humanitarian protection are actually granted it.
Understandably, perhaps, many British taxpayers feel aggrieved that getting on for half a billion pounds gets shelled out each year housing them while they’re waiting for their claims to be processed.
But whose bad is that?
New figures show that in the twelve months to June this year the Home Office had managed to sort a yes or no in just four percent of cases. And a third of those who’ve come across in the last six years are still waiting for a decision.
Little wonder the new government is now working to streamline the system, to head off what might otherwise become a perfectly fair criticism that they’ve left this festering scandal to carry on rotting.
They’ve also announced a drive to round up those people who aren’t deemed to deserve protection and send them back where they came from.
But, having dumped the Tories’ costly, controversial and arguably cruel Rwanda scheme, they’ve opted instead for trying to disable the people-smuggling gangs, though that hinges on enhanced international cooperation.
And, on this front, the last few days have thrown up an intriguing set of questions.
Starmer’s made it clear from the outset that he wants to reset relations with our erstwhile partners sur le continong.
Things have been pretty frosty since we flounced out of the European Union, so warming things up a bit from such a low base point was always going to be relatively easy.
The more so as our opposite numbers in governments across Europe can hardly have forgotten that Starmer was the Labour opposition’s official cheerleader for staying in.
Unsurprisingly, in the run-up to the general election he was careful not to estrange wavering voters by rocking the Brexit boat. Hence his ruling out rejoining the main trading bloc or once more letting people move about as they choose.
But behind the scenes there have been conversations, particularly about partial restoration of freedom of movement.
Reports emerged last week that ministers were minded to make concessions, to allow young Europeans to live and work for a while in UK. A deal that would cut both ways, obviously.
There’ve also been murmurings about rejoining the programme that offers uni students the chance of studying or doing an internship on the continent.
Any such suggestion has been firmly refuted by government spokesmen. But there’s a saying in politics: ‘Nothing is ever true until it’s officially denied.’
And there can be little doubt that saying something isn’t going to happen now is a long way short of saying it’ll never come to pass. If we want something from them we have to give something back. It’s the nature of negotiation.
It’s also a vital lever in the new government’s central pitch. That it’ll restore the nation’s fortunes by building the economy, via heaps of investment, a fair slice of which might come from big business in Europe.
Certainly the urgency of getting the economy back on track is heavily underscored by official figures that’ve just come out.
During their final months in office the Tories borrowed masses more than had been predicted or expected. And a slew of business sector surveys suggests the new Chancellor’s inherited a trajectory of slowing growth.
All this bolsters Rachel Reeves’ claim that horrid things she’s got to do are all the fault of the beastly Tories. And give credence to her claim that they’ve left the nation in a bigger pickle than at any time since the Second World War.
But none of that will make those things she’ll have to dish out come her October budget any more palatable.
An early and glaring sign of what she’s up again comes in the form of the hullabaloo over the axing of the winter fuel allowance for most oldies. With heating bills set to rise there’s widespread anxiety about how they’ll cope.
Nonetheless, Ms Reeves is weighing options. Though she’s promised not to raise income tax, national insurance, or VAT, there are all manner of other possibilities, none of which are very nice.
There’ve been hints that she’ll tweak the rules concerning how much money she’ll allow herself to play with, which would help.
But she’ll have to be careful not to be seem to be playing fast and loose with our money, same as the Tories. Trotting along in their footsteps like sheep.
Has to be said, however, the dear little fluffy creatures do sometimes get an unfairly bad press.
Take the moment when Kristen Jackson was convinced by a loud noise above her bedroom that she had burglars smashing their way in.
Worth pointing out that she and her partner only fairly recently moved into their home in Whitworth in Lancashire, and the place partially nestles into a hillside.
Which explains why nothing could have prepared her for the identity of the intruders. Not actually a whole flock, but enough of them trotting around on the roof to make one helluva racket.
Oh how they laughed, once they’d got over the shock.
Watch Peter’s report at peterspencer.org
Peter Spencer has 40 years experience as a Political Correspondent in Westminster, working with London Broadcasting and Sky News. For more of his fascinating musings on the turbulent political landscape, follow him on Facebook & Twitter.