What sort of Prime Minister would Starmer make?

I think he will be a very cautious Prime Minister. He will not want to get on the wrong side of the right wing press or alienate those voters who have switched from voting Conservative, they are the people he needs to get elected so I imagine he will not want to do anything very different to what a more normal (as opposed to the present very right wing) Conservative govt. would do.
I realise that Nick Clegg has somewhat devalued the meaning of a pledge, but I don't think Keir Starmer should have made pledges that he had no intention of honouring, it gave him an unfair advantage in the leadership contest, because people like myself (I voted for him in the contest) believed he was telling the truth when in fact he was just using those pledges as a tactic. Lisa Nandy was honest and lost.
Now maybe he deserves credit for his tactics, but I don't think he deserves credit for honesty.

I so agree Casdon

Casdon

I think a major issue is that those who are on the left of the Labour Party are on a crusade, and are therefore unable to believe how many millions of voters there are in the middle ground who will never vote for a left wing candidate. As well as the more centrist Labour Party members, sone of those voters are in red wall seats, some of them are in Tory seats, some in Lib Dem seats, and some are floaters. It’s not so hard to understand if you can step away from your prejudices. The opinion polls do tell the story, and history has shown that to be the case.

And they seem to think it’s Keirs fault that Corbyn lost two elections and because of that they want to give the Conservatives 5 more years in government.

I think a major issue is that those who are on the left of the Labour Party are on a crusade, and are therefore unable to believe how many millions of voters there are in the middle ground who will never vote for a left wing candidate. As well as the more centrist Labour Party members, sone of those voters are in red wall seats, some of them are in Tory seats, some in Lib Dem seats, and some are floaters. It’s not so hard to understand if you can step away from your prejudices. The opinion polls do tell the story, and history has shown that to be the case.

Glorianny

Elegran

He is a lawyer, one with a social conscience that he has displayed in his pre-political career. He wouldn't play silly buggers with our legislation. He might even oversee the drafting of the written constitution that some people are demanding.

But someone who apparently thinks it is OK to make promises and then break them.
Either he didn't mean them when he made them or he is so easily swayed he is persuaded even to break his word. Not good qualities.

So you'd rather have a Conservative, who breaks promises and lies with impunity?

Zoejory

Boring. But that's possibly what we need. Not sure his stance on striking is going down very well.

I've always thought Andy Burnham would make an excellent leader. Maybe once he's finished his mayoral duties

So would I. For one he has never lost his roots or his accent. He understands the North's push for inclusiveness and appeals across the range of voters. He has made a very good job of being mayor of Manchester.

Burnham has proved there is massive support for left wing policies
Mick Lynch speaks with more truth and gains more support than Starmer.

Neither of who are leaders of the Labour party. No-one would be able to vote for them in a GE...

It keeps being brought home to me that Starmer just can't afford to look radical because the predominately right wing media, and tory voters and the scared centrists would be down on Labour like a ton of bricks. There is no point at all in offering hostages to fortune.

If you look at Labour's policy proposals on their web site (though I warn you they are fiendishly difficult to find) they are more radical than the Left give them credit for.

I'm waiting to see how he deals with the new PM...

Glorianny What do you think Johson and hos cohorts have been doing these past 3 years? Nothing but lies, broken promises and more lies.

I watched the 4 candidates for the leadership election when JC won. Burnham, when referring to workers, talked only about those who worked for the state or local govt. There was absolutely no mention of those who work in the private sector. Many of them have no union to turn to and their working conditions are poor, often having to work long hours and for low pay or on zero hours contracts.

We need someone who is aware of the concerns and needs of the private sector as well of those in the public sector.

Back in the 70s the mother of a friend ran a business that imported Italian furniture and lighting, based in Brixton. At that time "Red" Ted Knight was running Lambeth Council. Whenever the rates or rents were increased Ted Knight failed to recognize that in order to meet the additional cost the volume of sales would have to increase. eg - if rent and rates were £20,000 sales would have to be £40,000. £20k for the overheads and £20k to pay for the goods. Very simplistic explanation I know!

I think he will win back my red wall seat, certainly the polling numbers at the moment indicate that he would.

Amalgamated written constitution. Our "values and rules" are already written down in the records of legal decisions and opinions and so on, and referred to when clarification is needed. Some believe a unified single document set in stone would be better.

Elegran

He is a lawyer, one with a social conscience that he has displayed in his pre-political career. He wouldn't play silly buggers with our legislation. He might even oversee the drafting of the written constitution that some people are demanding.

But someone who apparently thinks it is OK to make promises and then break them.
Either he didn't mean them when he made them or he is so easily swayed he is persuaded even to break his word. Not good qualities.

He is a lawyer, one with a social conscience that he has displayed in his pre-political career. He wouldn't play silly buggers with our legislation. He might even oversee the drafting of the written constitution that some people are demanding.

Lovetopaint037

For goodness sake. We can do with boring after the seedy antics we have had to put up with. If Starmer is as boring as Attlee then we have a chance to regain our NHS and the world respect we have lost.

Don't rely on Starmer to save the NHS he has reneged on the promise to stop privatisation www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-nhs-pledge-privatisation-b2123849.html

I don't understand where the voters who will support Starmer are to come from. Please can someone explain? Do they expect the Red Wall to change back? Do they expect Tory seats to turn red? Where are these middle of the road people who will support the LP as it is now. It's something I have never understood.
Burnham has proved there is massive support for left wing policies
Mick Lynch speaks with more truth and gains more support than Starmer.
But I'm expected to believe he will lead the party to victory? Well how?

Anniebach

The unions have power

Less than they did.

Lovetopaint037

For goodness sake. We can do with boring after the seedy antics we have had to put up with. If Starmer is as boring as Attlee then we have a chance to regain our NHS and the world respect we have lost.

Sorry, well put for this comment

Well put,politics have become too much like reality shows in many countries and it's ended with really appalling leadership.

The unions have power

No you are over estimating the power they now hold within the party.

Lathyrus

What kind of Prime-minister? A very short term one. As soon as Labour was in power the far left would bring him down.

They'd do their best, but I'm not convinced they would succeed. Starmer has shown he's quite a tough cookie.

What kind of Prime-minister? A very short term one. As soon as Labour was in power the far left would bring him down.

For goodness sake. We can do with boring after the seedy antics we have had to put up with. If Starmer is as boring as Attlee then we have a chance to regain our NHS and the world respect we have lost.

Zoejory

Andy Burnham would appeal to the younger voter. University chums of my AC are very disenchanted with Keir Starmer. He has nothing that grabs them.

An awful lot of people aren't hugely involved with politics. To get them to vote we need someone people can relate to/ listen to. Not sure that Keir ticks that box.

I'm not sure your AC's university chums are representative. My daughter lives in Manchester and is till a "younger voter". She's a huge fan of Burnham and what he's trying to do for Manchester, but wants to keep him. Nevertheless, she'd vote for a Starmer-led Labour party too. Her opinion is that Starmer ticks the boxes to be PM. My son is still at uni (about to start an MSc) and would vote Labour too. Until now, he's always supported LibDem because he's a centrist at heart, but he's pragmatic enough to see how much damage the Conservatives have done to the country.

I take it that you'd like the Tory party to be in power for ever then, Grany?

Not that I am suggesting for one second that you'd vote Tory, but damaging Labour's only realistic hope in years will do just that.