Political differences which seem minor can often have much more significance in practice.
Labour traditionally is a Broad Church. That is one where the right decide the order of service but the left can sit in the pews at the back provided they don’t make too much noise.
Neither Starmer or Blair accepted the Labour Party led by Jeremy Corbyn. The left could not be allowed to determine the order of service even if the hymn book was still that of the Labour right.
Starmer has made it clear that he has no time for Labour as any form of Broad Church. The potential explusion of Neal Lawson who promotes tactical voting to get the Tories out underlines the point. A YouGov poll (Times 29th July) shows that most Tory voters defecting to Labour are doing so because they want the Tories out not because they like Starmer.
Blair making one of his rare public interventions in the summer issue of the New Statesman argues for a progressive politics(as he sees it) within Labour or the broader circles around Labour. Blair’s idea of a Broad Church is one where Labour and the LibDems work together but not as one organisation.
That isn’t Starmer’s view but Blair at least grasps that outside of PR (which he still opposes) some form of Broad Church politics is needed.
This is not something for the left to celebrate but to note. Starmer may think that his way is the only way. Blair has other views
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