Only if he can ostracize momentum. Get his core centre left base back on side. Far left will drag him in the same direction as corbyn went. Down.

In a way principles is what it's all about but only if a majority have the same ones where politics are involved.

That’s one take on it. It’s not particularly mine.

I like Starmer though and think he comes across 100 times better than Corbyn, but then that’s not difficult.

"It feels much better than it ever did, much more sensitive." John Wayne Bobbit

What was your take then Tom? From my perspective BoJo get totally kebabbed by Starmer.

Vive le Roy!

PMQ's are up there with Question Time in terms of being meaningless frivolity. A version of boxing for nerds with each side trying to claim victories that mean nothing in the wider electoral context where it truly matters.

How or what Starmer is and represents will not be apparent until at least the Labour conference and maybe even beyond. I would guess that this current Covid-19 crisis offers him both a blessing and a curse.

And so far no polling shows any kind of significant bounce. To be fair to him, he is showing at least some political nous in that there are no points to be scored, as things stand, for constant slagging off. The public mood is more about national unity rather than the usual slings and arrows. Many of the Corbynites seem to struggle with that but such is life.

However, as it becomes more and more apparent what a complete stab in the back the entire Peoples Vote campaign was given that it condemned Labour, and therefore Corbyn, to defeat in December 2019 then those little Corbies aint going to just sit back.

We do not live in normal times. And until Starmer has been through a year of the usual s***, he cannot be judged.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

Starmer's shadow Health secretary is good, Jon Ashworth, but he had his 'health and social care' shadow on C4 last night , Liz Kendall - I thought it wud be revealing that someone given that responsibility at this time must be someone Starmer either rates really highly or trusts completely - she was very disappointing though, just parroting the party line and answering specific questions with meaningless generalizations - disappointing, thought she might be one of those engaging bright sparks, she was more like a New Labour robot - all compliance and f*ck all else, I suppose you need a few of those but she was clearly under orders and it showed, too much of that cud well turn voters off - too much control and propaganda, other posters pointed out some bizarre looking Starmer appointments, though I thought those posters were too selective with their evidence, this is the first thing I'd call a negative re Starmer's leadership.

Also, to be fair to Labour, there are simply very few political points worth scoring at the moment. The national mood is, at this moment in time at least, seemingly all about a sense of pulling together rather than the usual fisticuffs of political brawling.

Now of course once it all blows over and the serious questions can not only be asked but also qualified answers given, then it will be a different kettle of fish but for the time being, Starmer is probably getting far more right than wrong.

And let us not forget that as matters stand Johnson is probably the most secure politicians in the Western World. Huge majority, no internal opposition worthy of being labelled as such and with no risk of any kind of election for well in excess of 4 and half years.

In short, he can do whatever he wants. Starmer needs to pick his battles and timing is crucial. Has to play the long, long game here with his biggest issue in the next 12-18 months being those within his own party. Johnson can simply ignore him but those behind him will be looking to wield a variety of knives to stab him with. And it is going to get vicious on that front.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

Momentum have to be unliberated for him to succeed.
Joe public will like him if his manifesto and ideas are written by him. They will see through ones that are written by a n other.

if you'd seen the interview you might be as subjective as me, I was speaking more in terms of up and comers and future leaders - like Lawson, Lamont, Mellor and Major all started off as chief secretary to the treasury - certain appointments can be revealing, with the care home crisis I was interested to see who he chose to speak for the issue, the shadow health sec Ashworth is the one caught on the phone saying Corbyn was a disaster pre the election, he has to peddle the party bullsh*t but says pertinent intellligent things every time I see him, the other was just talking off a script, Starmer's obviously, and it wasn't very convincing nor the first time, so I hope as a Labour voter that I'm wrong and it's not a revealing appointment.

I’ve said before I think Matov could write this stuff for money. Could probably adjust styles for the audience/readership.

COYP