How damaged is Keir Starmer?
JVL Introduction
A sizeable rebellion against Starmer on Gaza, while bruising, is unlikely to change much in the short term, argues Phil Burton-Cartledge. It wasn’t a rebellion against the leader as such.
And it looks like Muslim support for Labour, while dented, is not seriously damaged, as bread-and-butter issues take precedence over concern for Gaza even in this constituency.
But in the longer run Burton-Cartledge finds hope possible for change. The Lib Dems and the Greens have a historic opportunity to make some inroads; so too do independent candidates in a handful of seats that could potentially become the nucleus of a new alternative to Labour, especially with the Tories out of the picture and mass opposition to Starmer being to the left.
Whatever the outcome of the next general election it looks like the next parliament will be one in which the mass of the general public will be hard pushed to find MPs representing their views.
RK
This article was originally published by A Very Public Sociologist blogspot on Thu 16 Nov 2023. Read the original here.
How damaged is Keir Starmer?
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The response against Starmer’s support for Israel comes from outside Parliament and Labour – it’s rooted in communities and campaigns that Starmer’s Labour has largely rejected (or taken for granted). The electoral response to Gaza, as things stand) is marginal, but the political consequences should be enormous. They expose Starmer’s Labour utterly.
The argument that the rebellion was not a vote against Starmer “as such” does seem a trifle fanciful. How on earth can the demand for a ceasefire be separated from the Labour Leader’s refusal to call for one? He may well not be damaged in the eyes of the many thousands of non-Labour demonstrators but his approach has said an awful lot about his politics re Palestine and I suspect this will be noted and internalised by many Labour voters. It is not just his political beliefs but his style of politics that will be questioned. It will not affect the general election vote but there are already a lot of questions regarding Starmer’s ‘political heart’ and as a leader I think he has been further damaged. Politics is not just about getting power but also about compassion. For many of us, for dire situations like Gaza, compassion trumps political loyalties to third parties.
That is a very English perspective. Here in Wales, Plaid Cymru has been outspoken in support of a ceasefire, leading the way for the Senedd to support that call. While first-past-the-post and the system and propaganda around it, makes a mockery of electoral democracy in Britain, we do have a type of PR in Wales. I have 2 PC members of the Senedd (and 1 Labour, 2 Cons). I will not be voting Labour in Senedd elections. I may be voting Plaid, despite my mistrust of nationalism.
The SNP has also been strong in calling for a ceasefire.
Damaged? With all his right -wing policies and his U-turns, one could be forgiven for thinking he’s wrecked!
He’s certainly wrecked the Labour Party.
Just imagine if Jeremy Corbyn were the leader of the Labor Party today….! Not only the UK, the whole world, particularly the Middle East could have been a little different today.