Katy Balls Katy Balls

How Starmer is using the crisis in Ukraine to his advantage

Keir Starmer (Photo: Getty)

Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer had one thing in common at PMQs: they were both keen to talk about the escalating situation in Ukraine. While the Prime Minister wants to use the crisis to show there are more important issues than parties, the Labour leader views it as an opportunity to put some clear blue water between himself and his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn. 

Starmer is using the Ukraine situation this week to emphasise Labour’s return to the centre

His call at Prime Minister’s Questions to ban Russia Today has already received some criticism from figures on the left and right of the party who believe it would be self-defeating. Whether or not Russia Today is banned, calling for it has one clear advantage for Starmer – it distances him from the Corbyn era, given the former Labour leader appeared on the propaganda channel.

As I say in this week’s magazine, Starmer is using the Ukraine situation this week to emphasise Labour’s return to the centre. He

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