Cut the doom and give us a boom
WHEN Labour gathers in Liverpool for its conference this week, Sir Keir Starmer will speak as only the fourth leader of his party ever elected PM.
But, less than three months on, he finds the storm clouds are already gathering.
Sir Keir Starmer will this week speak as only the fourth leader of Labour ever to be elected PM[/caption]
Keir claimed in his election campaign that he was a different type of leader in an appeal to voters tired of Tory sleaze.
But his personal brand has been damaged after he and his wife accepted tens of thousands of pounds of free clobber from media tycoon Lord Alli.
Rightly, if belatedly, he has now knocked that practice on the head.
Meanwhile, pensioners are up in arms at the decision to strip all bar the poorest of their winter fuel allowance — something they were given no warning of in the election campaign.
The freebies row would never have assumed such importance if the PM and Chancellor Rachel Reeves were not so downbeat in their assessments of the UK.
As Labour grandee David Blunkett writes today, the pair have been too funereal in their approach.
Of course the scale of our national debt is a massive concern.
But the role of PM is also to provide hope — not simply doom and gloom.
Which is why Keir needs to show some vision this week.
Above all, he must display how he will deliver growth for hard-working voters.
The Tories got the boot because they were clapped out, and voters wanted to change.
The PM needs to convince the country in his speech on Tuesday that the change he promised is change for the better.
Global warning
THE Defence Secretary correctly highlights the threat to world order posed by Russia, Iran and North Korea.
John Healey says this axis of menace risks a global conflict.
His sober analysis is welcome.
It’s our enemies that pose the greatest threat to citizens of this country.
Something we’re sure he’ll point out to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, when he’s next pondering a speech about the perils of climate change.
Cash is not the cure
OUR NHS is crying out for reform.
Now new figures reveal productivity at some of our biggest hospitals has dropped — despite staff numbers soaring.
Proof that the answer to our health service woes is not simply to throw cash at it.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has made a good start.
Now he must show he is tough enough to overhaul the entire crumbling system.
