I watched Keir Starmer hold back the tears in Downing Street. And I don’t blame him. He was stabbed in the back by his supposed colleagues. Sir Keir tried to put a brave face on it. Speaking from the lectern outside 10 Downing Street, in front of a crowd of assembled journalists and TV cameras, he talked about his achievements as Labour leader and Prime Minister. After all, he inherited a party on the brink of annihilation following Jeremy Corbyn’s period in charge. He turned it into an election-winning machine that won a massive majority in a General Election.
The Unexpected Applause
But he’s had to accept the inevitable. His staff, including many of the special advisers who brief the media, were in No 10 to hear him speak. And they did one thing I didn't expect - they applauded him warmly. They, at least, were loyal. And one or two members of the Cabinet were there too, such as David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Darren Jones, the Prime Minister’s Political Secretary. No doubt there are others who have stuck by the Prime Minister through thick and thin. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed has been a loyalist, by all accounts.
Striking Absence of Colleagues
But it was striking how few of Sir Keir’s Labour Party colleagues were in Downing Street to support him. Did they, perhaps, have guilty consciences? It was also strange that, at this historic moment, it was a little bit hard to hear what Sir Keir was saying. Viewers watching events on the telly may not have noticed, because Sir Keir’s lectern was fitted with microphones for the broadcasters. But for people in Downing Street itself, the Prime Minister’s words were almost drowned out by a man called Steve Bray, who was in Whitehall - the street next door - with a loudspeaker system blasting out Ode to Joy. He does this frequently, with the speakers usually aimed at Parliament. Today, they were aimed at No 10.
Chaos and Rudderless Nation
It added to the sense of chaos surrounding Government at the moment. Sir Keir remains in charge until Mr Burnham takes over, but clearly, he has no authority. He can’t actually make any decisions. The nation is rudderless. Will any of this help young people find jobs, increase our wages or allow the NHS to treat more patients? The Labour MPs who forced Starmer out must, presumably, think it does. I’d love to hear them explain how.
