Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Politics Explained

Can Keir Starmer get Labour back on track?

The Labour leader must urgently change the narrative which is in danger of being set in stone – that he is not up to the massive task ahead. But that isn’t an impossible job, writes Andrew Grice

Monday 10 May 2021 21:30 BST
Comments
<p>Making a fist of it: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer outside his north London home on Monday </p>

Making a fist of it: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer outside his north London home on Monday

After his bruising first encounter with the voters and a botched first reshuffle, there are growing doubts inside Labour that Keir Starmer can turn the party’s prospects around.

With all eyes on him, Sir Keir needs to put in a strong performance in the Commons on Tuesday when he responds to the Queen’s Speech. In fact, Sir Keir has done well in his recent weekly jousts with Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions. The big test for the former director of public prosecutions is not persuading the Commons judges, but the jury of public opinion.

Sir Keir needs to explain urgently what he and his party stand for, so he will launch a policy review. But when the-then Labour leader Neil Kinnock did that in the 1980s, it took two years. Sir Keir doesn’t have that much time.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in