Sir Keir Starmer, erstwhile Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, waded into the swamp he had helped create a few weeks ago and has had a torrid time trying to convince the media to pay attention to policy and not the gifting habits of peers of the realm.
Keir’s been receiving gifts as if John Lewis depended on him for its survival. And whilst the initial focus was on Labour peer Lord Alli and his wish to clothe and bespectacle the leader of the opposition, it would appear that the entire top team in the Labour Party has benefitted from his largesse and the generosity of long-vested interests aching for an opportunity to pay for access to a Labour government.
Now the Labour Conference is over, it’s fair to say the reception for the big policy ideas has been muted at best, damaging at worst. When Starmer began those years ago in Sheffield, it seemed he was at worst a stuffed suit with big ideas. He tried this week to cover himself in the Union flag and peevishly sought to avoid questioning on the gifts and hospitality.
His party has voted down the tone deaf policy to means-test winter fuel payments from pensioners; he might press ahead with it, he might not. Either way, Keir Starmer has had the shortest honeymoon period of any recently elected Prime Minister (we don’t count Liz Truss) and the smart, respectable suits no longer behove him; its as if they aren’t there at all.
