The Economist - USA (2020-06-27)

TheEconomistJune 27th 2020 45

1

I

n the courseof his weekly online chats

with voters, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour

Party’s new leader, asks callers to be blunt

about where the party went wrong. A group

from Northumberland does not disap-

point. Participants complain about its anti-

Semitism, neglect of the north and eco-

nomic incompetence, along with its posi-

tions on Brexit and immigration. But

Louise Hantman offers a word of comfort.

“We feel quite excited that you’re there

now. There’s a light on the horizon.”

She’s not the only fan. Sir Keir, who took

over as leader three months ago, has had a

good debut. His net satisfaction score of

31% matches the best figure Tony Blair

achieved as leader of the opposition (see

chart) according to Ipsos mori. The best Mr

Starmer’s predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn,

scored was -1%. Worryingly for the Tories,

says Ben Page, the polling firm’s chief exec-

utive, undecided voters tend to go for Sir

Keir as they make up their minds. Accord-

ing to a survey by YouGov, voters find him

less likeable than Boris Johnson, but more

competent and more decisive.

Coronavirus has provided rich opportu-

nities for Sir Keir. He has supported Mr

Johnson on big strategic decisions, and

needled him on testing regimes and care

homes at prime minister’s questions. Mr

Johnson mocks the former Director of Pub-

lic Prosecutions as a dithering lawyer, but

the Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer kcbqcmp’s

Scrabble-board of credentials and bookish

seriousness—he pores over spreadsheets

of covid-19 data before his duels with the

prime minister—seem to reassure voters

put off by Mr Corbyn’s anti-establishment

tendencies.

But while voters tell pollsters that Sir

Keir looks like a prime minister in waiting,

they believe by larger margins that the La-

bour Party is not ready for government. The

brand is soiled. The Conservative Party has

an eight-point lead over Labour, according

to the most recent YouGov poll, down from

24 at the height of the coronavirus crisis,

and a little down from its 12-point lead in

the general election. Voters think that La-

bour is weaker, less competent and less

moderate than the Tories are.

Rehabilitating a party that disappeared

down an extremist rabbit-hole and lost

four elections on the trot is a big task, but

there is progress. Labour has gone back to

the basics of being an opposition party.

Meetings start on time, mps receive proper

briefings, and the “grid” that sets the

party’s news agenda is observed. Like Mr

Blair, Sir Keir urges members not to blame

the press for their woes, and says elections

should be fought on five pledges, “not 125”.

He wants the party to talk about aspiration

and “people who want to get on”, as well as

the downtrodden.

Sir Keir has broken the grip of the Cor-

bynists who once controlled the party.

Labour’s leader

Starmer’s army

Keir Starmer is a hit with voters. The Labour Party is not

Starming ahead

Britain, satisfaction with oppositionleaders

Date of highest score, %

Source: Ipsos MORI

Michael Foot

Neil Kinnock

John Smith

Tony Blair

William Hague

Iain Duncan Smith

Michael Howard

David Cameron

Ed Miliband

Jeremy Corbyn

Sir Keir Starmer

50403020100

Net satisfaction, %

2

20

18

31

-1

8

9

23

19

-1

31

Nov 1980

Oct 1983

Jul 1992

Dec 1994

Jun 1997

Oct 2001

Nov 20 03

Apr 2009

Oct 2010

Jul 2017

Jun 2020

Britain

46 Virtualagriculturalshows

48 Bagehot: Munira Mirza

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