‘A new leader in a new era — does Keir Starmer really have what it takes to return Labour to power?’
Its been over six months since the more dull conclusion to five of the most tumultuous years in British politics, rigged with twists and turns at every corner. Yet it seems so distant, as though it was a completely different world. The outcome of that general election in December 2019 was clear and without doubt, a comfortable landslide for the Conservatives thanks to their effective yet questionable ‘Get Brexit done’ message and a thumping for the Labour party, the worst since 1935. Boris Johnson was generously gifted his 80 seat majority by the inept leadership of Jeremy Corbyn topped off by his hideous manifesto; comparable to Micheal Foots ‘longest suicide note’ in the 1983 general election.
However, since then, many things have changed. We live in a very different world with only one word on our tounges; Coronavirus. This pandemic has changed the way we live our life and the way our economy runs; the after-effects will be there for many years to come, therefore we have to be prepared to conduct politics very differently.
Having elected a new leader at the beginning of April, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour party sits at the dawn of a new era with the potential of a fresh new start. Although the ramifications of the last five years of Corbynism still lingers over the Party, Keir Starmer has been quick to show himself as a completely different leader, one of Forensic engagement rather than negative complacency. His approach of cooperation in the fight against the pandemic and vigorous scrutiny of the government has awarded him with a significant jump in the opinion polls, slashing the tories lead from 26 points to only four, seen as almost impossible a few months ago. This, of course, does not mean that we are close or even anywhere near close to a Labour government, and it would be delusional to think otherwise. There are many more tests that must be passed before Labour becomes a true alternative to the Tories, tests that every leader since Tony Blair has failed. Let’s remember, it took them fourteen years and three Leaders before they were able to overcome the trauma of the late 70s and early 80s. Although circumstances may be different, the principle remains the same, public trust must be earnt and the fight for that trust will be long and harsh.
Nevertheless, we find ourselves with a new potential, the potential of rebranding the Labour party as a dynamic, progressive, forward-thinking political ‘force for good’; driven by the desire for social, political and economic change in a world shifting in its identity, challenged by new forces. Forces that defy our social fabric with ever more adversity towards our establishment and their monopoly over power and wealth. This is an opportunity of immense significance, an opportunity we can not throw away. The question we must all ask ourselves is, what kind of party should Labour be? We must not bow to ideological purity seeking a utopia something which has crushed the parties electability and pushed away traditional Labour voters, neither should we make the mistake of looking back at past glory in search for a golden age of politics. Rather we must look at the issues we face in the present and build a kind of politics that fights the social and economic injustices we find, on a pragmatic and practical base.
The new leader’s immediate course of action will be vital in securing him and his party’s respectability; specifically concerning two issues, the internal problems of the party and its economic policy; two of which are very much interlinked.
Starmer’s leadership campaign was very much about unifying the Labour party; in his words ‘not trashing the last four years or the last Labour government’, which in simpler words means not polarizing the party between its right-wing and left-wing. However, his first appointments as Leader have been starkly different from that tone; sacking many members loyal to Jeremy Corbyn in the shadow cabinet and appointing a former adviser to Tony Blair as Labours General Secretary. Although this is probably the best path to take if he is going to rebuild trust with the electorate, it has and will continue to arouse suspicion among the radical left of the party, whom still holds its soul. The choice is to either, appease the left which risks turning him into Ed Milliband number two, or declare war as was done in the 1980s epitomized by Niel Kinnock’s speech in the 1985 Labour Conference, though I doubt he has the appetite for such conflict.
Although I see the argument for unification, I fear it will set a dangerous precedence and hurt the chances of electoral success. If by the next general election, Labour is still seen as the party of Corbyn, despite all the problems the conservatives face, they will not find it hard convincing the country against a Labour government. The stereotype that labour can not be trusted with the economy and national security must disappear; seeming to close to Corbynism will not help that endeavour.
The struggle between the different factions of the party have been there since its foundation, and history has seen it turn bitter and nasty; whether it be in the 1950s during the Beven-Gaitskell rivalry or indeed the decision by Roy Jenkins to split away forming the SDP. The new leadership must understand that attempting to amend this infighting is not necessarily plausible, with the disagreements becoming extremely polarizing and entrenched; to an extent that both sides seem to have very little common ground. The question is whether they want to be swayed by the struggle, or manoeuvre the struggle in their direction; a direction to bring Labour back to the seats of power, therefore inevitably more to the right.
What has already sparked much discussion and debate, is an issue that will bring the divide to the centre of the political stage, an issue that will certainly challenge the leadership, and in my opinion, either secure or break Starmer, which is, of course, Labours Economic policy amidst the economic turmoil caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. The huge amounts of spending in the economy will inevitably face the government with a huge task of clearing up the budget deficit and rebooting the economy with suggestions by former chancellors, Alister Darling, George Osborne and Philip Hammond of Unemployment at similar levels to the 1980s. Huge questions will be asked around government expenditure, taxation, government bailouts and investment. Labour must be practical and sensible, they must frame the debate around the needs of people, but also be realistic, not becoming so ideologically driven that they run the risk of picturing themselves as irresponsible over public finances which will allow the public to believe only the Tories are capable of economic success. Therefore Starmer will need to revise his position and the position of his shadow cabinet over nationalisation, tuition fees and immense government spending.
The worst thing Starmer can do is sit on the fence; offer no clarity to not anger parts of his party. It will turn people away from Labours view and certainly will not help bring back trust in their leadership. He must be bold and authoritative even if costs him some support.
These tests are extremely important and will shape Starmer’s leadership of the Labour party; as Labour sits on ice, Keir Starmer may be its last hope. The question is, will the path he takes be another episode in a series of failures or a transformation that will finally bring an end to Tory rule?
