With Boris Johnson’s government haemorrhaging support why is Keir Starmer not doing better?

Keir Starmer must be given time. However, I would genuinely like to hear from the Labour right who assured us everyday for 5 years that if Starmer, or someone like him, was leading Labour, we would be twenty points ahead in the polls. The YouGiv poll, not this one, has us going backwards! On 35%. TBC, including this one here, other polls have Labour higher and the trend has been rising. At the start of the crisis, based on what usually happens in a crisis, the Tories and Johnson were popular. Johnson has since haemorrhaged support at an alarming rate, and we have had the open mocking of the Tories, and the Dominic Cummings affair and much more.

Under Jeremy Corbyn we got 40+% and he got the most government u-turns of all time across 3 different prime ministers with virtually all the PLP stabbing him in the front and back on and off the record, hour after hour. Also without virtually any media. Worse than that, with media, including broadcast media (as many independent reports testify) actively partisan against us and outright lying about us. So, NOW, given this, I expect MUCH MUCH MORE than these early signals. By the exact logic of those previously criticising, we should now be miles ahead. But we are still significantly behind. But, as I say, early days and Keir must be given time.

We have been nowhere near vocal or sharp enough as an opposition party so far. It’s like we are almost going out of our way to be timid and quiet. Those representing us on the Sunday shows yesterday were an example of that. We are starting to look more like careerist management types than leading the ideas, debates and policy arguments. We will never win by mimicking. We will never win if we do not loudly, proudly lead.

We have also had front page positive coverage in The Daily Telegraph, The Times and had WAY, WAY more balanced coverage from the broadcast media, and rest of the media in general. We have also had full support internally, with no one briefing BS on an hourly basis and stabbing Keir in the front and back as they did/DO Jeremy Corbyn. KS also has almost all the centrist, ‘liberal’ commentariat on his side, and even gobsh*tes like Piers Morgan (who has been unusually good during this crisis) praising him.

The policies, Corbyn’s & OUR policies, remain significantly majority popular with the public. Despite some evidence of chipping away at them already appearing by the Labour hierarchy. Yet, here we are. So, I would now like a comradely open discussion with those on the Labour right as to why this is. Despite the massively disproportionate advantages KS has had so far. TBC, OBVIOUSLY I want Labour to do well, otherwise why be in the party?! I’m not one of those genuinely evil f***ers allegedly stopping us winning as seen in the Labour Leaks report allegations. But I do want a basic level of humility, courtesy and respect and those making previous demands to front up. We need unity, and to get unity, you need to reach out. So, reach out. Do it. Be humble. Be open minded and be constructive.

The Lib Dem vote can only be squeezed so much. Please, please, please do not make THE SAME MISTAKES AGAIN as those pre-Corbyn by thinking that New Labour/Lib Dem/‘liberal’ media views represent a path to victory. If you haven’t worked out by now that is electoral suicide, then you never will. Look around the world. That politics fails everywhere. So, take Canada who have had to move left. Take Arden in New Zealand who has moved Labour significantly left, despite coming from the Labour politics shared by many of the Labour right. Because she woke up early on. Welsh Labour under Mark Drakeford have also moved left on big policy announcements. Portugal, Croatia, Spain, Iceland, Finland, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia pre coup etc etc.

This ‘left’ is merely Social Democracy/Keynesian economics. Both Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner officially pledged to keep that path. So, if Keir insists on appointing those who are to the right of that, into key Shadow Cabinet positions, as is his right of course, then may I suggest that those people PLEASE, FINALLY stop thinking their politics policy-wise will win today’s arguments. Even Stevie Wonder can see that is not the case. So, accepting all this, please do what you pledged to do. Please bring unity by honouring those pledges, and if Shadow Ministers don’t want to play ball, then don’t appoint them. Or protect them. Then we can have unity. If we do this, and kick out all those exposed in the allegations if investigated properly, apologise to all members and representatives, especially BAME members/reps, we will then win. If not, we won’t. It’s that simple.

Adam Samuels