The human race, controlled by a soulless, robotic overlord. It is the stuff of countless sci-fi dystopias – but here in Britain, it is just another day of living under Keir Starmer’s government. Our charisma-free premier is not exactly known for his love of humanity: just look at his pre-election Guardian interview in which he said he did not have a favourite book or poem, did not know if he was an introvert or extrovert and claimed to have never had a childhood fear.
So after 16 months of Sir Keir’s reign of error, it is no surprise that half the public now favour switching to a similarly heartless, albeit competent, regime. No, not the Tories – but rather a hypothetical alternative reality in which the British state was run by artificial intelligence. Merlin Strategy asked 2,000 UK adults for The Spectator the question ‘Who do you think would do a better job of running the country?’ And the nation, it seems, is split, with 51 per cent preferring the mechanical, unfeeling real-life PM to the 49 per cent who want him automated.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, given his war on winter fuel allowance, it is the over fifties who are most excited about having a leader who can actually feign the human touch. Some 55 per cent of those between 55 to 64 prefer AI to Starmer, a figure that climbs to 57 per cent among those over the age of 65. The East of England is most enthused about the rise of the robots, with 56 per cent of residents polled backing a PM who can put the ‘AI’ into parliament.
But the highest contingent are 2016 Leave voters and Reform backers, who want Starmer replaced by 63 per cent and 70 per cent respectively. If Labour wants to win the next election, maybe it is something for Peter Kyle to get cracking on…
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