Pity poor Keir Starmer, who has a long and difficult year of doing very little ahead of him

The Labour leader must enjoy his opinion-poll lead, but he is only just past halfway to the next election, writes John Rentoul

Time passes really slowly when you are in opposition, and really fast in government (PA)

Time passes really slowly when you are in opposition, and really fast in government, Tony Blair said at his institute’s Christmas reception the other night. Keir Starmer knows the first part very well. He has been leader of the opposition for 32 months now, and it must feel like 32 years. He probably has another 22 months to go, if the election is in October 2024.

(Incidentally, Blair said he thought Starmer was doing a good job and was likely to win that election, although I didn’t press him on whether this meant a majority or a minority Labour government.)

Looking back over those 32 months, Starmer could be forgiven for congratulating himself on his strategic genius in sitting tight and waiting for the government to blow itself up. He always had a low opinion of Boris Johnson, and always thought it likely that he would disgrace himself in one way or another. What he could not have been sure of, though, was that Conservative Party members would choose the wrong candidate to succeed him.