How powerful is Keir Starmer?

Coffee House Shots

The Spectator

News, Daily News, Politics

4.4 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 February 2023

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

With Labour nearly 30 points ahead in the polls, Keir Starmer is consolidating his position at the top. He said yesterday that Jeremy Corbyn will not stand as a Labour candidate in the next election, and he could be looking to reshuffle his shadow cabinet soon. How much power does Starmer have? Could he completely cut Labour's ties to the trade unions?

James Heale speaks to Katy Balls and the Times's Patrick Maguire.

Produced by Cindy Yu and Max Jeffery.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is sponsored by Canacord Genuity Wealth Management, experienced wealth planners and
0:05.6	investment managers who offer unwavering support in challenging times. Visit kanduwealth.com for more
0:11.9	information.
0:17.0	Hello and welcome to Coffee How Shots. I'm James Heel and I'm joined today by the spectators
0:21.1	Political Officer Katie Balls, a special guest which is red box editor, Patrick Guar from The Times.
0:26.7	Patrick is being a busy week in Westminster despite the recess and has been the news of
0:31.2	sturgeon resignation and what's happening with Jeremy Corbyn so I want to ask you as an opening
0:35.3	question. What's been the best bit of news for Keir Starmer this week? It's a really, really
0:39.8	interesting question. I think in terms of the arithmetic of the next election which is something
0:45.2	that constantly preoccupies both Keir Starmer and the most important man in his office Morgan McSweeney
0:50.9	who is his most influential aid. They are constantly warning the shadow cabinet not to be complacent
0:55.9	despite their polling leads stretching. 28 in the recent most recent Yuga of poll for the Times.
1:01.5	Their worry is over time it'll be whittled away and if it gets down to 10 or less you're in
1:06.4	hung parliament territory and who knows what's going to happen. Any complacency creeps in they get
1:10.5	drawn into culture wars that poll lead diminishes and so too is their chances of winning a majority.
1:16.0	But what's been transformative is not necessarily Jeremy Corbyn being given the boot because
1:21.8	they're pretty confident that they have drawn a line under that period. That's really about
1:25.4	putting a lid on it. What has changed the arithmetic in their view? What could change the
1:30.3	arithmetic? Is the departure of Nicola Sturgeon who is so predominant in Scottish politics? They
1:34.9	just never saw a way of landing a glove on her and they now think and even the likes of
1:40.2	you know SMP die hard to hate the Labour Party like Jim Sillers who I spoke to earlier today.
1:45.0	Both the SMP and Labour recognise that this is a once in a generation opportunity for the Labour
	...

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