Keir Starmer and the dangers of the urge to purge

A version of this piece orginally appeared in the Spectator

It’s Friday 5 July 2024. The electorate has proved the pollsters right, and Labour has returned to power with a staggering majority to match or even surpass the landslide victories of 1945 and 1997.

Will the new Labour MPs have the courage to stand up to Sir Keir Starmer and his team when they believe that they are making a mistake? Will the cabinet dare to argue back when argument is essential? 

Or will they opt for sycophancy? 

As he purges the far left, Starmer is already giving one hell of a lesson to the Labour party: keep your heads down and bite your tongues, or who knows what might happen to you.  

Corbyn has gone. Elements in the party leadership clearly want to stop Diane Abbott running again as they have already prevented the left-wing candidates Faiza Shaheen and Lloyd Russell-Moyle from standing.

We are all about to learn how Britain’s distorted first-past-the-post system can concentrate power. Starmer could have a majority of 150 or 200 on less than 50 per cent of the vote, and the Labour leader is using the prospect of a crushing victory to rearrange his party.

I am not sure that he will get away with it.