Next week, when Keir Starmer appears on stage at Labour conference in Brighton, it will be the first time he has spoken to a packed crowd of party members since he became leader. Covid restrictions meant his inaugural leader’s speech at party conference in September 2020 was delivered to an empty hall and shared via a video link. It was a blessing in disguise. Starmer had an excuse for failing to make much of an impression. He was also able to deliver criticism of the Jeremy Corbyn era without fear of boos from the delegates.
His audience will be less forgiving now. Over the past year, his position as Labour leader has weakened. Disappointing local election results, a botched shadow cabinet reshuffle and Starmer’s sliding popularity in the polls have led to speculation about his ability to lead the party to power. The hope was that Starmer would be more moderate than Corbyn and therefore more electable. Yet few believe he is on course for Downing Street. Is Starmer too robotic to appeal to the public? And if he can get the attention of voters, does he have anything to say to them?
It’s not uncommon to hear members of the shadow cabinet say that it will take two more elections for Labour to get into government. A party shooting for victory in 2029 is unlikely to have high morale. The left flank of the party are on the offensive — crying betrayal over Starmer’s refusal to restore the whip to Corbyn following his suspension last year. Starmer’s deputy, Angela Rayner, is being talked up as a leadership rival.
Even Starmer’s own supporters are strained in their praise. Ask a Labour MP how he is doing and you will often hear ‘he is doing his best’, ‘it’s a tough job’, or — the most damning — ‘we’ll just have to see’.
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