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Saturday 21 October 2023

Jubilantly humble



I’m the heir to Blair, says Starmer after Tory ‘armageddon’ by-election defeats

Sir Keir Starmer has cast himself as the heir to Sir Tony Blair after his party clinched two major by-election victories in Tory safe seats – a result that he jubilantly declared a “game-changer”.

The Labour leader insisted his party would stay “humble” – but boasted that he could see the “summit” of a general election victory, as he cited Sir Tony’s 1997 triumph.


It's not easy to prise any nuggets of optimism from that. A significant number of voters could end up holding their noses very tightly while they vote Tory merely to keep him out. That's how it works of course, but "Sir" Keir is certainly making a fine job of playing the two party game by being quietly odious. 

3 comments:

DiscoveredJoys said...

You could reasonably argue that Blair and Thatcher are the two towering political figures within living memory.

In my opinion Sir IKEA has not yet shown any of that potential and may never get the chance to do so, even if he and Labour are successful at the next General Election. The political world is vastly different from the last half of the previous century. Political spin and dirty tricks appear to be far more pervasive now, and the media can make or break a politician, or even a party.

Sam Vega said...

So more foreign wars and throwing money down the NHS mineshaft?

A K Haart said...

DJ - I agree, he hasn't shown the potential at all. He's a puzzle in that he lacks even a glimmer of charisma, as if the political game has been abandoned by people who could possibly make a difference.

Sam - looks like it, plus more regional assemblies and piling on the bureaucracy until things just stop and those with talent move elsewhere.