His concerns the gathering would turn into a “re-tread of 1999” — when the socially liberal PM Tony Blair was in power — had been assuaged. It “hasn’t turned out that way at all,” he said heralding Mahmood’s “brave” speech on the importance of borders and sovereignty.
Starmer needed to be given the space to “grow,” he said, claiming it would have been “inconceivable” a year ago that the prime minister would have been talking about stopping the boats and appointing Mahmood as home secretary.
“Conference is very calm. All that noise has died down. It’s not let Keir be Keir the human rights lawyer. It is Keir the prime minister who promoted Shabana Mahmood to be home secretary,” he said.
Broad church
Starmer, whose political shape-shifting was crucial to his election as party leader in 2020, used his speech to argue for a return to the center ground, aiming his fire at opponents on both the right and left of politics who argue there lies a “quick fix” in tax cuts or wealth taxes.
“We can all see these snake oil merchants on the right, on the left, but be in no doubt, conference, none one of them have any interest in national renewal,” he said.
Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s top and closest aide has been on board with a more progressive pivot, one think tanker, who has a close relationship with No. 10 Downing Street, said.