Starmer recasts Labour as a government-in-waiting

Editorial: In his conference address, Sir Keir asked for two terms in office to return Britain to growth – and promised they would be less fun than the Blair Decade. It was reassuringly unvarnished, and exactly what the electorate needed to hear

(Dave Brown)

Sir Keir Starmer seems able to cope with the unexpected quite well. In an appalling breach of security, a protester was able to get onto the Labour conference stage and cover the Labour leader in what looked like emerald-green glitter. Sir Keir, showing the positive side of being what Boris Johnson used to call a “useless bollard”, took it in his stride and turned it to his advantage. Out went the boring blue jacket; in came the would-be statesman, ready to roll up his sleeves. “Good in a crisis,” as the pollsters like to put it.

It proves why Mr Johnson underestimated Mr Starmer, right up until the moment that Sir Keir’s forensic questioning about Partygate helped force him out of No 10. His current opponents in the Conservative Party would be well advised not to make the same mistake.

True, this was not a speech rich in policy detail, but there will be time for that much closer to the election and the launch of the manifesto. As an eve-of-election year rally, it was an unalloyed success.