Keir Starmer takes on Labour's biggest opponent

It isn't the Conservative party.

I am very grateful to those of you who have subscribed recently and even more grateful to those of you who have upgraded to a paid subscription. Should you wish to join the righteous, you may easily do so here:

And so: We are at most a year away from a general election campaign everyone recognises is likely to produce a Labour government. Sir Keir Starmer’s lead in the polls is now an accepted part of the political furniture. Even those people who don’t much care for it may live with it. The chief question is whether Labour will win mightily or merely bigly.

The Tories are resigned to this. The people who hate it are Starmer’s enemies on the left. As ever, the Labour left prefers impotent opposition to the mean compromises of power. Starmer wants to win - he is a competitive beast - and this is unforgivable. The more the left squeals, the more normal and acceptable Starmer seems. God bless Owen Jones and Diane Abbott and all the rest of them.

Still, certain ancient customs must be obser…