Is Sir Keir Starmer really the “heir to Blair”? That was the question being asked on Thursday as the Labour leader did a campaign launch with echoes of Sir Tony Blair’s modernisation project.
A 1997-style pledge card was unveiled. Sir Keir talked about “changed Labour” just like his predecessor’s “New Labour” creation. The tie and suit jacket were even ditched.
There are genuine similarities between the Starmer and Blair leaderships, ones that help us understand how the current Labour leadership would approach policy challenges in office. But the overlaps have limits. In at least three significant ways, Sir Keir is treading a different path to Sir Tony. They can be missed amid as all eyes focus on the similarities with New Labour.
Ben Riley-Smith, The Telegraph’s Political Editor who got the chance to question the Labour leader on the topic, takes a closer look.
Watch Ben’s video analysis above. Find more episodes of Westminster Source on The Telegraph’s YouTube channel.
