Starmer's hope of Tony-Blair style decade is 'Olympic-standard hubris'

Keir Starmer’s hopes of a Tony-Blair style decade in Downing Street is ‘Olympic-standard hubris’ say Conservative MPs

• He faced claims that he was taking victory in the next two Elections for granted
• Alexander Stafford said: ‘Sir Keir is guilty of Olympic-standard hubris’

Sir Keir Starmer was accused of ‘Olympic-standard hubris’ last night over his ambitions for a Tony Blair-style decade in power.

The Labour leader faced claims that he was taking victory in the next two Elections for granted after he unveiled plans for a ‘decade of national renewal’ last week.

Tory MP Alexander Stafford said: ‘Sir Keir is guilty of Olympic-standard hubris if he thinks he’s got not just the next General Election in the bag but the one after as well. That sort of arrogance and pride always comes before a fall.’

Sir Keir’s allies hit back last night by insisting that Labour was in no way taking the voters for granted, and that the party leader had needed to set out a long-term vision given the scale of the problems left behind by the Tories. However, even many Labour MPs are privately worried that the succession of huge opinion poll leads over the Tories will result in complacency.

The Labour leader revealed his ten-year plan to transform the country and put an end to ‘sticking-plaster politics’. He made clear that such was the scale of his ‘five missions’ that he would need two terms in power to achieve them. He said: ‘I’m not going to shy away from the fact that after the damage that’s been done in the last 13 years, it is going to take time to fix the fundamentals.’

Sir Keir Starmer was accused of ‘Olympic-standard hubris’ last night over his ambitions for a Tony Blair-style decade in power

He also faced questions on how the public could trust him given that he had campaigned to make Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister, and had now abandoned pledges he made during the contest to succeed Mr Corbyn

He insisted that he was ‘pretty humble’ given Labour’s disastrous performance at the 2019 Election.

However, he faced mockery over the lack of detail in his plans, which include making the UK the fastest-growing G7 country and making Britain’s streets safe. He also faced questions on how the public could trust him given that he had campaigned to make Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister, and had now abandoned pledges he made during the contest to succeed Mr Corbyn.

Last week, Ben Nunn, Sir Keir’s former head of communications, wrote in the i newspaper that the leader’s talk of long-term plans ‘signals his determination to be more than a one-term Prime Minister’.

Starmer’s hope of decade at No 10 is Olympic-standard hubris, say Tories

Berger returns to labour 

QUIT: Luciana Berger

Former MP Luciana Berger has returned to the Labour Party after Sir Keir Starmer apologised for the ‘disgusting’ antisemitism and death threats she endured during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

Ms Berger, who represented Liverpool Wavertree for nine years, quit Labour in 2019 saying she was ‘ashamed’ to stay in a party that had become institutionally antisemitic under Mr Corbyn. Tom Watson, then deputy leader, called it ‘the worst day of shame in the party’s history’.

Sir Keir tweeted last night: ‘I’m delighted Luciana has accepted my invitation to rejoin Labour.’

It is understood that she decided to return after Sir Keir barred Mr Corbyn from standing as a Labour candidate at the next Election.

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