Once in every generation the Labour party gets tired of losing elections and prepares for power by neutralising potential sources of opposition.
Today’s Labour’s offensive is advancing on all fronts. Rachel Reeves nurses glasses of warm white wine through dozens of receptions for finance and business leaders. Keir Starmer withdraws the whip from Jeremy Corbyn and makes certain that no one can claim now that Labour is an anti-Semitic and anti-patriotic movement. The CBI reacts to Boris Johnson’s cry of ‘F—k business’ and of Liz Truss turning his words into deeds, by saying that it welcomes ‘Labour’s pledge to establish a modern industrial strategy’.
Starmer is lining up all the ducks – except one.
In the 1990s Tony Blair and Gordon Brown wooed the Conservative press. They did not necessarily expect Tory newspapers to support Labour, although the Sun came out for Blair. Rather they wanted to blunt the ferocity of the right’s attacks.
I suspect the Tory press would give Starmer a hearing today.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in