There’s just over a week to go before what might be the Labour party’s last conference before the general election. But while the mood in the wider party might be one of optimism, it seems that caution is the order of the day on Keir Starmer’s front bench.
Appearing on a panel called ‘Is Labour’s election triumph inevitable’ at the Cliveden Literary Festival, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy revealed that during Starmer’s party leadership campaign in the spring of 2020, he had some words of warning for the future leader. ‘I cautioned Keir not to suggest that Labour could win the election in one cycle,’ he said, ‘He didn’t accept that advice and decided to go for it.’ At least Lammy still managed to bag a place in the shadow cabinet.
Given his old advice to his boss, perhaps it’s no surprise that he was at pains not to seem too optimistic or excited about Labour’s chances at the next election.
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