In an interview with the BBC’s Nick Robinson, ex-No10 Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney reflected on Starmer’s U-turns. He concluded that they weren’t quick enough. Speaking about the “island of strangers” U-turn, he said
“I think Keir made the speech – I know what he intended to do with the speech, and he certainly didn’t intend to offend anyone. He wanted to make the point that unless we get this right, it’s going to cause major cohesion issues in the country. He stuck by that principle. And when he was told by colleagues, by friends of his, ‘Look, what you said offended us. What you said offended me. What you said made me feel like I can’t be part of your story of the country,’ I think he reflected on it and thought, ‘Look, okay, that wasn’t my intention. My intention was to make an argument about how the immigration system needs to change, bring the country together. Because if we don’t bring the country together, things will get much, much worse.’
Now, this was the argument he was trying to make. In the course of that, he said something that he didn’t intend to offend people with, and he did. So he apologised. And I think that’s the right thing to do. But I agree with your point: you have to, in politics, work out quicker which are the conflicts that can be avoided and which are the conflicts that need to be addressed at speed. I think that’s reasonable criticism. That’s a big lesson for him, or anyone, going forward in the future: move faster.”
Too late to learn that one…
Badenoch said at her speech on Monday morning: “We are absolutely ready to fight a general election. We say the results in Aberdeen South: 50% of the vote. Because we can unite the country… It’s about uniting the country, for God’s sake, behind a centre-right agenda.”