The Problems of Starmerism

The 2017 and 2019 general elections showed a strong bedrock of Labour support among the working age population and particularly the under thirties. This is a consequence both of long-term changes to the composition of class cohorts, political events, and the experience of a decade of Conservative governments, whose policies have shielded the retired and the elderly. These conditions have not changed and, under the impact of Covid-19 are, if anything, sharpening. The challenge of the Labour Party's new leadership under Keir Starmer is keeping hold of this crucial component of the party's electoral coalition while making inroads into Tory support. Initial movement in the polls suggests he is on course for achieving the latter, but positions taken on Black Lives Matter, the government's coronavirus strategy, and a managerialist oppositional style recalls the triangulation strategy associated with the Blair years. This article considers the possibilities and dangers of adopting this approach.