Keir Starmer looks poised to take charge of the Labour Party today, as Jeremy Corbyn’s turbulent four-and-a-half-year tenure at the helm comes to a close.
The former director of public prosecutions, who has been a long-time favourite to succeed Mr Corbyn, is said to have ambitions to transform the party from top to bottom, starting with a clear-out of those responsible for the damaging 2019 election defeat.
Those who support Sir Keir, 57, are hoping a resounding victory will see Labour move back towards the centre ground.
John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair and numerous Scottish secretaries, said: “We need a clear sign from Keir that he understands he won support from Labour Party members because they want to be able to win elections again and UK elections are won in the centre ground.
“He’s got to start moving quickly towards the centre.”
Asked if Sir Keir could win in Scotland, Mr McTernan said: “Yes of course, anybody can win back ground if you focus on what the concerns of the public are.
“In Scotland there are still major issues around core public service delivery, schools, hospitals, policing all while the SNP Scottish Government is looking a bit old and running out of ideas and running out of talent coming through.”
“It may well be that the supporters of Alex Salmond go to war with the supporters of Nicola Sturgeon and Keir Starmer will be a lucky leader in Scotland as elsewhere”, he added.
Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray, who is in the running for the deputy leadership of the party, told us that whoever took the helm – whether Sir Keir, Lisa Nandy or Rebecca Long-Bailey – there was a “huge challenge” ahead.
He said: “There is a huge challenge because we have lost people’s trust and the voters delivered their verdict last December.
“Regaining their trust will involve listening to people in every seat in Britain.
“But there is also a huge opportunity because people are desperate for change.
“By ending the factionalism and divisions of the past, we can rebuild our party for the future and become a credible alternative government.”
Nearly 785,000 party members and affiliated members have voted in the contest, according to official figures.
Each of the candidates has recorded a victory video to be played if they win, as the usual leadership press event has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a parting note to members before he stood down, Mr Corbyn said yesterday that it had been the “honour of my life to lead this party”.
The Islington North MP said he regretted not being able to lead Labour back to power but – in what will be read as a warning to his successor not to deviate from the left-wing path set during his leadership – added: “We have the ideas, policies, energy and organisation to win a Labour government next time.”
Mr Corbyn said: “Over the past five years we have changed the agenda on austerity and how the economy is run.
“In 2015, opposing austerity was seen as radical – today it is the political mainstream.
“Of course, we could have achieved so much in government, and I am sorry that under my leadership we did not get there.
“In 2017 we came close, winning the biggest increase in the popular vote since 1945.
“Sadly, the 2019 election was a Brexit election and our attempt to bridge the gap between Leave and Remain voters was unsuccessful.”
Mr Corbyn’s comments come after his wife, Laura Alvarez, accused the media of having “vilified” the outgoing Labour leader and said he was “attacked by his own party” during his four-and-a-half years in the top job.
“It has been incredibly hard for me to watch my husband vilified and to hear his words twisted by his political opponents and some in the media,” said the former human rights lawyer.
“It has been even harder to watch him be attacked by his own party.
“The brutal irony is that if we had pulled together, we would have been ready to lead the country rather than suffer more austerity under the Tories.”
