Who is Keir Starmer?
Roy Jenkins once famously said of Tony Blair’s approach to being leader of the opposition that it was “like a man carrying a priceless Ming vase across a highly polished floor”. This “caution first” approach clearly paid off for Blair, who went on to win in a landslide. Could this go some way to explaining the somewhat cautious campaign run by Keir Starmer?
Starmer won’t particularly thank me for comparing him to Blair. He’s trying to build a coalition across a fractured Labour Party and has refused to be pigeon-holed into one faction or another. This can be seen in his extraordinary team, which includes Kat Fletcher and Simon Fletcher (no relation), both of whom worked for Corbyn. His staff also includes Matt Pound, who previously worked for the moderate Labour First faction.