The Ming vase was not dropped. Sir Keir Starmer shrugged off the challenge from a protester, rolled up his sleeves and sought to answer the question many in Britain were still asking: why Labour?
The speech was slick, slightly dull and hyper-disciplined — rather like Starmer himself. The hall loved it, but what mattered more were the views of those watching on television, hearing snippets on the radio and reading about it the following day on the way to work.
Discipline is the watchword of this Labour conference and what may well push the party over the line and into Number 10. Discipline in campaign and message, policy and purpose. Leading Labour is akin to herding cats, but Starmer is making it look possible.
The allure of government certainly helps. Unhappy shadow ministers and ordinary members are wise to keep their own counsel when the party is consistently 15 to 20 points ahead in the opinion polls. Conversely, the Prime Minister is having to fight for attention with cabinet colleagues seemingly more interested in soft launching their leadership bids than promoting Conservative policy.
Conference speeches don’t win elections, but they can augment a message that a party is ready for government should the voters agree. On that basis, Starmer can mark his down as a success.
‘An act of sheer evil’
As the days go on, the scale of the atrocities grows only clearer. Bodies of residents of the Kfar Aza kibbutz lie strewn across the streets, as Israeli soldiers go house to house to take away the dead.
“It’s not a war, it’s not a battlefield. It’s a massacre,” reflected Major General Itai Veruv. It certainly looks a lot like a pogrom, something experienced by the grand-parents and great-grandparents of the dead. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden denounced Hamas last night, calling the attack “an act of sheer evil” by a group whose stated purpose is to “kill Jews”.
Both Israelis and Gazans will continue to suffer a tremendous toll for the barbaric actions of Hamas.
London Creates
London is a creative arts superpower. Our city attracts talent the world over, nurtures it and then lets it flourish. Today, the Evening Standard celebrates the launch of London Creates, a new campaign that pays tribute to the capital’s creative success while taking steps to ensure it will remain at the leading edge of artistic expression.
Artists Gilbert and George have designed today’s front pages — that is, plural. Collect both and go to @esculture on Instagram for your chance to win a signed print.
