Starmer could do with taking a leaf out of Blair’s book

When Blair was prime minister, he discussed but rejected the idea of banning Corbyn as a Labour election candidate, writes Andrew Grice

Starmer still needs to win power and is convinced that sending voters a message that he is ‘not Corbyn’ will help (Getty)

When Tony Blair was prime minister, he discussed but rejected the idea of banning Jeremy Corbyn as a Labour election candidate on the grounds he was a serial rebel who had voted against the New Labour government hundreds of times.

Why, then, did Keir Starmer take the opposite view this week and prevent Corbyn standing for Labour?

Blair already enjoyed the luxury of a huge Commons majority and thought he could let sleeping left-wing dogs lie. (With hindsight, a mistake: they woke up to bite New Labour and, remarkably, make Corbyn leader.)