Who said it appeals for the average joe though?
The only reason why Starmer is in with a shout is because well, look at what the current shower are up to.
*gestures all around*
You're optimistic, because you work in tech, and you're minted, you're also a bit older, and might have got on the ladder before everything went to utter shit.
But the country is shagged, keep renewing those passports lad.
I generally agree with this.
But Blair wasn't particularly loved ahead of 1997, for example, this is from 1999:
"The myth that Labour owes its electoral success to Tony Blair's popularity and charisma is shattered in a new book.
John Smith would have secured 'a healthy majority' for
Labour. Even the much-pilloried Neil Kinnock, dubbed the 'Welsh windbag' by the tabloid press and blamed for keeping Labour out of power in the Eighties, might have won in 1997, the authors claim.
...
Had Major been able to gag dissent in his Cabinet, and make the European single currency an issue, the evidence suggests he could have whittled Labour's majority down to almost nothing."
The left of the party hated Blair from day 1.
Approximately 21 percent of people in Great Britain thought Rishi Sunak was the best choice for Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
www.statista.com
There's only a few percent between Starmer and Blair there.
Inequality and cost of living in the UK are pretty bad, but the former is where Labour have been historically very good.
Maybe it is just blind optimism. But I like the fact that Starmer is a cautious leader from the left who is willing to at least somewhat accommodate the right of the country. Which is the majority of England, it is fundamentally a rightward leaning country. With a billionaire owned right wing dominated press.
They're not attempting to sell a fantasy of reversing brexit in the near term, it's just not going to happen. Much as I'd love for it to happen, it's not. But getting a much, much better travel and trade agreement is definitely achievable, which is what they're aiming for.
I also like Rachel Reeves, she's a fairly classic Blairite third way type, pragmatic instead of idealistic.
I'm also very much a fan of Angela Rayner, teenage single mum who fought her way to the top. She gets it (I think...), from what I've seen and heard, I think she understands how properly fucked the country is.
So I like what Labour are bringing despite the press, never even voted for them in a general election before, the last local elections was the first time I voted Labour in the UK, but I'm very tempted to volunteer for them for the next election.
In any case, I'd like to go back to Ireland at some point but for family reasons, it's not going to be for a while.
Ssssh, don't worry, world beating art dealerships.
HBB is very positive about the future of the UK.
Very positive is overstating it. I'm saying it's not completely fucked, there are good pockets and decent management on the horizon. No guarantee of success.
www.theguardian.com
