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Is Andy Beckett right/ Has Keir Starmer been working on 'an attempt to create a new political hybrid: part leftwing, part rightwing, intended to appeal to a much more fragmented, politically fickle, less generous country'?
Beckett's argument is that alongside the clear Right aspect to Starmer's policy direction there is also a strong leftist element (workers rights, inheritance tax etc.).
More Starmer-apologism from the Guardian or a plausible explanation?
#politics
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/28/keir-starmer-labour-rightwing-labour-prime-minister-leftwing
@ChrisMayLA6 giving with one hand, taking away with the other.
Honestly, at this point the scraps of workers' rights and nationalisation feel like figleaves or "left-washing" rather than actual principled and effective change.
@ChrisMayLA6 In my view Starmer, in his pursuit of popularity, began as a fence sitter (Brexit) and has developed a spinning moral compass. Our FPTP political system and increasingly polarised media/electorate dictates that this is necessary for a majority. It is not particularly democratic as most voters didn't choose to have Labour select this 'pick and mix' of policies. Arguably, it's not good governance either.
@spanghero @ChrisMayLA6 I think that's probably quite fair in a lot of cases. There's a lot of wishful thinking going about that's getting in the way of the critical thinking regards Starmer's Labour.
@ChrisMayLA6 Generous positioning but such is where we are when even barely centre-right positions are lauded as leftist.
Maybe the phrase should be "Guardianism",
for making left sounding statements while moving to the right. :-(
Starmer has adopted Blair's 'Third Way' model of claiming to be left wing while only delivering for the right.
In truth the UK has been captured by private capital interests that won't allow any economic or democratic reform.
@ChrisMayLA6
Starmer will simply do what he believes is expedient to attempting to keep himself in power, mostly by sitting on the fence and trying to appease whoever he believes holds influence, be it big business lobbyists or Trump. He's no different to any other typical politician, I think it's as simple as that.
#FBPE @MostlyTato @ChrisMayLA6 To be fair, that *was* what he was elected on, for example his election promise to appease the #brexshitters.
@ChrisMayLA6 I fear it is the former rather than a true political stance.
I can't detect a strategic aim for the current Labour leadership.
Previous leaders had clear strategic goals, I rarely agreed with them but felt obliged to accept them if they were elected to power. Now neither of the two old parties have a clear strategic aim. Reform does, enhance the wealth of it main shareholders. The LD unclear, greens and national parties are clear, but ignored by media channels.