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Sir Keir Starmer

YOUR editorial Comment of January 14 noted how Sir Keir Starmers shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, had announced the abandonment of Jeremy Corbyns economic policy, in what will be another U-turn, (Stuck on old, failed ways instead of seeking a new path).

A year ago, on January 23 2020, you published an interview with Sir Keir, when he was running to be the next Labour Party leader, (Im a socialist for me it has a very practical application).

Your interviewer, Richard Osley, attempted to draw from Sir Keir what his politics actually were.

The future Labour leader declared that I am a socialist. He added that there needed to be a fundamental change with a shift in power and wealth. Also that certain services simply shouldnt be in the private sector.

He accepted that Jeremy Corbyn had been vilified in the national press but when asked if the BBC had been biased, as Corbyn supporters had argued, he replied Ive never gone down that route.

Sir Keir was seeking the votes of those hundreds of thousands of them who had joined the Labour Party because of Corbyn and his attempt to move his party from the old centre-right consensus of parliamentary politics.

Sir Keirs mailing to those with votes in the leadership election stated 10 principles, which he offered as his pledges.

These included defence of workers rights and repeal of the Trade Union Act; increased taxes for high earners and corporations, and tackling tax avoidance; that public services (including rail, mail, energy and water) should be in public hands and not making profits for shareholders; no more illegal wars and a review of UK arms sales.

One issue that Richard Osley did not report on in his piece was the source of Sir Keirs funding. His main opponent from the left, Rebecca Long-Bailey, had done so before the votes were cast.

Although Sir Keir announced ahead of the election that he had received 100,000 from a local lawyer, he did not reveal possibly using a delaying tactic based on parliamentary rules the names of some other large donors. This meant that by the time the donors were identified, the election was over.

These donors included wealthy New Labour and anti-Corbyn types, including a hedge fund manager, and a pro-Israel lobbyist. We might assume that they were at ease with Sir Keirs brand of socialism.

Since the leadership election we have learned, through the leaked internal Labour Party report, of attempts from within the party machinery to undermine Corbyn and his campaign to win the 2017 general election.

There has been no serious condemnation by Sir Keir of these plotters, neither of those Labour MPs who were part of this anti-Corbyn subversion.

In 2016, a year after Jeremy Corbyn was first elected leader, Sir Keir was one of the shadow cabinet members who resigned in timed sequence, in an attempt to force Corbyn to stand down.

There are suspensions from the party once more, as there were in 2016 during the leadership contest. The Corbyn-backing leader of Scottish Labour, Richard Leonard, has resigned.

The left-wing MSP Neil Findlay called those who made efforts to oust him flinching cowards and sneering traitors. I wonder if Sir Keir, who formulaically praised Mr Leonard after the fact, would agree.

ERIC KRIEGER Haverstock Road, NW5

The rest is here:
A year is a long time for a socialist - Camden New Journal newspapers website