Starmer could regret breaking with Corbyn’s grassroots politics

Labour’s recovery under Keir Starmer has, for the moment, stalled. Most surveys suggest voters are less inclined than they once were to see him as ‘prime ministerial’ and his party as ready for government.

It is too early to say if this is due to the pandemic looking like it is finally under Conservative ministers’ control or to inherent problems with Starmer’s own pitch to the public. But it confirms that after Labour’s appalling 2019 general election result, if Starmer ever ends up in Number 10 it’ll be close to an electoral miracle.

During his first year as leader Starmer has tried to find ways of winning back voters who have gradually abandoned Labour for over a decade. These are, according to the insightful authors of Brexitland, ‘identity conservatives’, voters who are disproportionately white, mature, male and with a basic education. This explains Starmer’s acceptance of Brexit and his embrace of patriotism and other culturally conservative tropes.