46 Britain The EconomistJune 27th 2020
2 “Starmer is master of all he surveys,” says a
veteran. His supporters have won a major-
ity on the all-powerful National Executive
Committee. Corbyn loyalists have been
axed from the shadow cabinet. Jennie
Formby, a Corbyn ally, has quit as general
secretary in favour of David Evans, a
Starmer man. Sir Keir has apologised to
Jewish groups for the anti-Semitism that
thrived under Mr Corbyn, and his domi-
nant position will allow him to overhaul
the party’s disciplinary process. The Board
of Deputies, a leading Jewish body, says
things are going in the right direction.
“Don’t underestimate the importance of
stopping crazy things from happening,”
says an old party hand.
“How does Keir’s start compare with
mine? It’s manifestly better. He’s more ca-
pable, and more reassuring, at 58 than I was
at 41,” says Neil Kinnock, who modernised
and moderated Labour as leader in the late
1980s. And Sir Keir’s foes, in Mr Johnson
and the Corbynistas, are less daunting than
Margaret Thatcher and Militant, whom
Lord Kinnock faced.
Given that Labour’s performance in the
general election of December 2019 was its
worst since 1935, it might reasonably be as-
sumed that things can only get better. But a
report published in June by Labour Togeth-
er, a group of party thinkers, and co-written
by Ed Miliband, a former leader and close
ally of Sir Keir’s, warns otherwise. It con-
cludes that cultural and demographic
trends loosened Labour’s grip on northern
English seats for 20 years before Mr Corbyn
handed them over to the Tories. Another
moderate swing in the 2024 election would
see 58 seats including Rotherham, Hartle-
pool and Halifax turn blue. Labour needs to
win 123 seats to form a majority in Parlia-
ment in 2024, a swing similar to Mr Blair’s
in 1997.
The biggest challenge is the economy.
Sir Keir thinks the pandemic changes the
debate on state spending and intervention
in the economy to Labour’s advantage. But
Mr Johnson wants to pour cash into rail-
ways, roads and hospitals, and voters think
the Tories are better at running the econ-
omy by a margin of two to one. That makes
it risky for Labour to outbid them. A shad-
ow cabinet member warns against timid-
ity. “If we say nothing, how does that re-
build competence? That is the big strategic
dilemma we face.” Peter Mandelson, an ar-
chitect of Mr Blair’s victories, thinks the
party needs a new agenda that embraces
life sciences, artificial intelligence and en-
trepreneurs. “We have to own the future,
not try to reheat the past.”
Another is culture. Labour’s older voters
tend to agree with statements such “an eye
for an eye” and “I am proud to be British”.
Its younger urban voters do not. Like Mr
Blair, Sir Keir has tacked right on cultural
issues, backing a Tory policy of long prisonsentencesforyobswhovandalisewarme-
morials,andhasduckeda debateontrans
rights.HepraisedBlackLivesMatterprot-
esters,butcondemnedthetopplingofa
statueinBristol.Alliessayhewillbetough
onlawandorder,andunequivocalinback-
ingBritain’sspiesandarmedforces.This
maytestthepatienceoftheCorbyn-erain-
takeofradicalyoungmps.OnBrexit,Sir
Keir,whopushedfora secondreferendum,
saystheissueissettled.
ThethirdbigchallengeisScotland.On
the issue of independence—which the
ScottishNationalPartywants,andtheTo-
riesoppose—Laboursatinthemiddleof
theroad,andgotrunover.Itheld41 seats
outof 59 in2010,andnowhasone.Without
a recoveryinScotlandit willstruggletowin
a majorityinWestminster,soitneedsto
takeaclear position ontheunion.But
which?Supportfora secondindependence
referendumoffersthepossibilityofa co-
alitionwiththesnp, butmayalarmEnglish
voterswhofeara break-up.Rulingitout
mightwinbackolderScottishvoterswho
left for theTories, but cost it withthe
young,whofavourindependence.
Given whereLabour wassix months
ago,whatSirKeirhasachievedisastonish-
ing.“Somethingas simple asnotbeing
ashamedoftheLabourPartyisincredibly
refreshing,”saysanoldhand.“Buta return
tonormalityisnotsufficienttodowhat’s
requiredinfouryears’time.” 7A
gnes aitkenknows exactly what she
is after. “I’m looking for a pleasant
head, with a kind eye when she looks at
you,” she explains. “A nice personality, a
long slender neck, a nice shoulder and a
wide chest.” Mrs Aitken, in short, is search-
ing for a goat. And not just any old speci-
men with a wispy beard and a gammy leg;
one fit to be declared the finest in all of
Scotland. Fortunately, at least some of the
animals she has been inspecting seem to fit
her exacting brief. “The quality has been
good,” she goes on. “There’s also some at
the tail end, but we’ll not dwell on them.”
Scotland’s summer calendar is usually
packed with agricultural shows. Nancy
Nicolson, farming editor of the Courier, a
Dundee newspaper, goes to one every
weekend between May and September, tak-
ing her wellies “no matter what the fore-
cast”. Covid-19 has put a stop to that. It is
easy enough for a caber tosser to persuadeotherstokeepa socialdistance;harder to
make animals (and their handlers) stay two
metres apart or to prevent crowds forming
for a celebratory whisky. Even with lock-
down loosening, the Scottish social calen-
dar is bereft of such festivities.
But Ms Nicolson couldn’t face a sum-
mer without a single show. Her newspa-
per’s solution—Scotland’s first online agri-
cultural show—will be held on July 3rd and
4th. Mrs Aitken, who has kept goats for 27
years, is one of ten judges. She will assess
home-made video clips of each goat to de-
termine a winner. It is a daunting task.
“When you’re judging an animal, it’s hands
on,” she says. “The feel of it is important,
the texture. You move around, you duck
and dive.” None of that is possible watching
a YouTube clip. Still, “it’s the same for
everybody, no one has an advantage.”
The format has enabled farmers from
much farther afield to enter. Scottish goats
will face competition from well-groomed
rivals from Cornwall and Northern Ireland.
Prizes for dogs, cakes and farm machinery
will be determined by a public vote. At the
end of the weekend, the most prestigious
prize—champion of champions—will be
handed out. “An enormous Charolais bull
goes up against a pygmy goat and some-
times a duck,” says Ms Nicolson.
Such a contest is a little absurd, but
shows are also a serious business. Prizes
help breeders fetch higher prices for their
livestock. And the events bring farmers
from across the country together, a wel-
come respite from work that can be socially
isolating as well as physically demanding.
Not all of that will be possible online, of
course. “You can’t replicate the drams in
the show marquee,” concedes Ms Nicolson.
“But farmers are a competitive bunch and
it’s the only show in town.” 7A Scottish staple goes onlineVirtual agricultural showsMooTube
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