In 2020, then British opposition leader Keir Starmer accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of "serial incompetence” following a series of U-turns. Now, he’s in the top job himself, a slew of damaging policy reversals have Starmer facing the same charge.

On Tuesday night, the government backed away from making possession of a digital ID card mandatory for anyone to secure a job in the U.K., saying other electronic identifiers would also be acceptable. That was only the latest about-turn by the government, which despite enjoying a sizable majority in the House of Commons, has gained a reputation for turning tail whenever Labour backbenchers oppose a policy.

Other recent reversals include backtracking on a cut to winter fuel payments to most pensioners, canceling planned curbs on disability welfare payments, watering down changes to inheritance tax rules for farmers, and reneging on an election-manifesto pledge to give workers protection from unfair dismissal from the first day of starting a new job. Ministers have also said they’ll do more to mitigate their own higher business rates tax bills on pubs, though details have yet to be published.

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