Sir Kier Starmer was yesterday confirmed as the next leader of the Labour Party after a resounding victory in the leadership contest. Only the first round of voting was required , after Starmer gained a majority at the first time of asking. The former shadow Brexit secretary received 56% of the vote, with Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy getting 28% and 16% respectively. Before being elected to Parliament, Sir Kier was one of the most senior lawyers in the UK, as head of the Crown Prosecution Service, which came after many years working as a human rights barrister. It has been rumoured that he was also the basis for the character of Mark Darcy in the Bridget Jones books and films! But the newly appointed Labour leader will have a lot more on his plate than a pregnant Bridget over the coming years. Let’s look at four key challenges the new Labour leader needs to tackle if he is to be successful.
1) An Effective Opposition to a Strong Majority Government
A fundamental characteristic of a strong and effective opposition is having a united front. Since Corbyn’s election and re-election as Labour leader in 2015 and 2016 respectively, the PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) has been embroiled in infighting between Corbyn and his leadership, against many MPs who reject what they view as hard left socialist policies. They failed in getting rid of Corbyn in 2016, but the criticism has been consistent throughout the five years Corbyn has been leader. One of the key issues became that the membership saw a large increase, many of whom were part of Momentum, a Corbyn supporting socialist movement, and much of the PLP simply became out of touch with their new membership. The lack of a united front has resulted in poor opposition. Labour have now lost three elections since 2015, two under Corbyn, and the last four in a row. The nail in the coffin was the most recent election result, which saw a massive majority for Boris Johnson, despite ten years of Conservative austerity. By effectively scrutinising the government while in opposition, Starmer can put Labour in a far stronger position by the time of the next election. This should be something that he strives at given his decades of experience as a lawyer, and his reputation for attention to detail while Brexit Secretary.
2) A Move Away From Corbynism
After Corbyn’s election in 2015 to Labour Party leader, the party undeniably moved to the left, contrasting emphatically with the ‘New Labour’ movement that earned three general election victories under Blair. So called 'Corbynism' sought to bring back nationalism of major industries, nuclear disarmament, and an end to military interventions. It strongly opposed austerity and privatisation, and Corbyn classed himself as a ‘democratic socialist’. During the Corbyn years, the Labour Party has had key positions filled by ideological allies, such as Jennie Formby as general secretary, and Party chairman Ian Lavery. Indeed, Lavery had told Starmer earlier in the campaign to stand down from the leadership race so Labour could elect their first female leader. Much of the shadow cabinet are also ideological backers of Corbyn, but it seems likely that, given the resounding nature of Starmer’s win, there will be an attempt to slowly move many of them aside. During the campaign, Starmer positioned himself as an electable candidate who still fundamentally believed in many of the left wing Corbynist policies, such as widespread nationalisation. Yet, his key appointments to the shadow cabinet, and how many will be retained from the Corbyn front bench, will be the first signal of the extent to which Starmer seeks a continuation from Corbyn. It may be a process that takes several reshuffles over several years to slowly purge the front bench of the left of the party, but his initial key appointments will provide some suggestion as to the direction of the Party. It is likely, however, that Starmer will want to go about this in a slow and pragmatic way, so as not to disunite the party - something he had centred his campaign on. A move to regain the centre ground is a tried and tested method for electoral success, so it would be a surprise if Sir Kier were to be a continuation from Corbyn on many fronts, even if this was what he had reassured the membership.
3) Provide a Credible Alternative at the Next Election
A move away from Corbynism, and a fundamental shift back to the centre, is likely going to be one of the most important factors in making Labour electable again. Although he had unexpected success against Theresa May in 2017 , who was seen to be an incompetent campaigner and poor connector, Corbyn was never close to taking up Number 10, gaining only a few more seats than Gordon Brown did in 2010. The 2019 election that followed represented Labour’s worst post-war election result, returning them only 202 seats, after a manifesto stacked with spending pledges. There are three key areas that Starmer will need to address in order to make Labour electable again. First, he needs to reinstate the red wall and gain the trust of those who voted Conservative for the first time in their lives (or who, at least, didn’t vote Labour). Labour has been ravaged in these communities by how out of touch they have been with many traditional Labour voters on Brexit - something Sir Kier is also guilty of. The finality of Brexit, in that the UK has already left the EU, should make it easier to move on and regain the trust of those former voters. Labour will never win an election without those northern, and midlands strongholds. Scotland is another central problem. Blair could always rely on success in Scotland that could provide the foundations for a majority, but the SNP have taken hold over the last three elections in unprecedented ways. Starmer will need to address a solution to the issue of a second Scottish referendum, as well as offer the Scottish people a manifesto that they would support, in order to regain some of the lost ground north of the border. Third, is the need to be an appealing choice for the aspirational middle classes - something that Corbyn ultimately failed to do. Success among this demographic, which is unlikely without a move away from the policies of Corbyn and McDonald, would increase their chances for seats in the parts of England that have been solidly Conservative over the last decade, but where Labour had success under Blair.
4) An End to Anti-Semitism
Anti-semitism has been one of the central failings of Corbyn’s leadership. Whether it has been his own actions, or simply an institutional failure to root out troublesome Labour members, it is something that has plagued the Labour Party since 2015. In his victory speech, released yesterday on twitter, Sir Kier emphasised the need for the Labour Party to apologise, something Corbyn struggled with over the years, and that the Labour Party will be a place for the Jewish community in the future. Sir Kier said; “Anti-semitism has been a stain on our party. On behalf of the Labour Party, I am sorry”. The contrast to Corbyn is clear who, during an interview with Andrew Neil on the BBC last year, failed to apologise having been asked to several times. He apologised a few days later on This Morning, but failed to take responsibility himself, saying; “obviously I’m very sorry for everything that’s happened, but I wanna make this clear, I am dealing with it. I have dealt with it.” Starmer’s straightforward apology yesterday represented the kind of clarity the Jewish community never heard under Corbyn on this issue. Anti-Semitism is something he has to be seen to act quickly and decisively on over the next few months if he is going to be able to draw a line under this issue.
In summary, there is a lot for the new Labour leader to do if he is to simultaneously lead a unified party, and put Labour in a position to challenge at the next election. He has won a strong mandate, and is in position to unite the party behind him, having gained the support of the most Labour MPs and trade unions, and now the majority of the party membership. It will be the coming months, though, which will reveal the extent to which he is willing to divert away from the policies of the last five years in his bid to become the first Labour leader to be elected as Prime Minister since Tony Blair.
Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UrkCoybYPg (From The Guardian)
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