A self-styled political leader returns to comfort supporters and claims past success leading the Labour party for 13 years and winning three general elections. The current Labour party is described as gripped by self-delusion, with constructive intentions framed as masking efforts to switch off life support. Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham are dismissed as not long-term solutions. The problem is said not to be Keir Starmer’s personality, which is described as nonexistent, and replacing him is argued against because he is presented as best placed to lose the next election. Personality politics is criticized as vacuous, except in the speaker’s own past partnership.
"I led the Labour party for 13 years and won three general elections. Never forget that. No other Labour politician has done that. And if I play my cards right, no other Labour politician ever will. Right now, the current Labour party is in the grip of self-delusion. Which makes me the perfect person to critique it. Because no one is more self-deluded than me. Tis very heaven to imagine you are being constructive when your real goal is to switch off the life support."
"Don't get me wrong. I think Wes Streeting is a very talented politician. Had he been around in 1997 he might have made a very promising junior parliamentary private secretary. And Andy Burnham is OK, I suppose. If you like that kind of thing. But neither are a long-term fix for the party. We are stuck in a politics bubble."
"The problem is not Keir Starmer's personality. Mainly because he doesn't have one. We should not be scratching the surface with a beauty parade. Personality politics is vacuous. Except when it was me and Gordon. Poor Gordon. Always the bridesmaid. Still is. So we shouldn't be thinking of replacing Keir as no one is better placed than Keir to lose the next election because the voters have said they will never vote Labour again while he is prime minister."
"Not that I want Labour to lose. Of course not. Whatever gave you that idea? Wha"
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