Niall Ferguson's Time Machine

Niall Ferguson's Time Machine

Epstein Didn’t Break Keir Starmer, But It May Finish Him

The British prime minister’s unpopularity predates Epstein. What the scandal has done is accelerate the reckoning for a leader short on authority and allies.

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Niall Ferguson
Feb 25, 2026
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“Are we the Italians?” was the best British politics meme I’ve seen for a while. (If you missed “Are we the baddies?” I can’t help you. Do keep up.)

If Sir Keir Starmer is driven from 10 Downing Street by (among other things) the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, it will bring the total number of prime ministers Britain has had in the past 10 years to seven (Davi…

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