Does the public want reheated Blairism?

To understand the political journey of Sir Keir Starmer, look to Liz Kendall. This week the Blairite and one-time leadership contender was put in charge of Labour’s welfare reform policy. Her promotion has upset the party’s left-wingers, who already think Starmer is too right-wing on welfare. ‘She’ll be more hard-line than Jonathan Ashworth,’ says one shadow minister in reference to her predecessor. But her real influence started well before she was given a place at Starmer’s shadow cabinet table.

 Kendall’s role in the 2015 contest was to speak hard truths following the party’s defeat under Ed Miliband. As Jeremy Corbyn called for a ‘wide debate’ and Andy Burnham wooed the unions, Kendall defended Harriet Harman, then acting leader, when she said she would not oppose some government welfare cuts, including the cap on household benefit income.