As if they couldn't think of anything more interesting to ask the leader of the Labour Party during an election campaign, Keir Starmer has been tackled on the hot topic of socialism, and whether he is a true socialist. Surprisingly, given his track record, Starmer immediately agreed that he was - though his answer was given a generous garnish of progressivism.
“Yes, I would describe myself as a socialist,” he said. “I describe myself as a progressive. I’d describe myself as somebody who always puts the country first and party second.”
It is a little disconcerting because he has dumped many of the socialist pledges he made when campaigning for the Labour leadership, and has ruthlessly expunged the Corbynite left of the party. As Private Eye editor Ian Hislop might say: If he’s a socialist, I’m a banana.
While the socialism of Jeremy Corbyn (now an ex-member of the party) was a constant source of debate and downright scaremongering during his leadership, Starmer’s declaration of born-again faith in the s-word has attracted surprisingly little attention.
So, is Starmer really a socialist?
He served in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet and wanted him in Downing Street but he also oversaw Corbyn’s expulsion from the party and trashed most of his policies. In any case, Starmer self-identifies as a socialist, so that should be good enough for everyone, shouldn’t it? Not necessarily...
What about his values?
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