Starmer Announces ‘Bold Vision’ for the Union

Keir Starmer’s Constitutional Commission is the bold idea many people wanted to see from Labour, but will it be drowned out by Brexit and the pandemic?


FILE PHOTO: Britain's opposition Labour Party Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media as he leaves the BBC headquarters after appearing on The Andrew Marr Show in London, Britain January 5, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
FILE PHOTO: Britain's opposition Labour Party Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media as he leaves the BBC headquarters after appearing on The Andrew Marr Show in London, Britain January 5, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
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LONDON (Labour Buzz) - Sir Keir Starmer has launched what he describes as the “boldest project Labour has embarked on for a generation” as he seeks to spread the wealth beyond Westminster. Starting in the new year, the constitutional commission will consider devolution in the UK. 

Using the JP Mackintosh Memorial Lecture he unveiled his plans which aim to set Labour’s stall out for the 2021 Scottish elections. 

“This will be the boldest project Labour has embarked on for a generation, and every bit as bold and radical as the programme of devolution that Labour delivered in the 1990s and the 2000s,” he said. “It will consider all parts of the United Kingdom. It will focus on delivering real and lasting economic and political devolution across our towns, our communities and to people across the country.”

Starmer admitted the crisis had changed his position on a number of issues including the need for city mayors. Previously he said he had been sceptical, but during this crisis, they had been a powerful voice for the communities he serves. 

Manchester’s mayor Andy Burnham has been one of the highest-profile figures in this pandemic as he stood up against the imposition of restrictions without proper support. 

This was a big moment for Starmer in many ways. Supporters and critics within the party have long been hoping we’d see more of a clear vision for how he wants the UK to be. This was a step in the right direction. 

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown will head up the commission. Previously he had spoken movingly about the need for a radical alternative vision to counter nationalism. 

This announcement signals Starmer’s commitment to offering Scotland a tangible form of devolution different from the status quo but still within the UK. 

That could cause problems. Polls put the SNP in dominant position north of the border on 53%. The Tories and Labour lag far behind on around 20%. Closing the gap is a daunting task but will be crucial if Labour is to ever win a Westminster majority again. 

However, it’s not clear if his message will do much to help the cause. Polls show a majority of people would now vote for independence in a referendum. Starmer remains opposed to a referendum. 

With the economy in a precarious state, he said, it would be ‘irresponsible’ to allow a second referendum. He also aimed barbs at Nicola Sturgeon claiming ‘Scotland is not Nicola Sturgeon’, just as England is not Boris Johnson.

The speech highlighted the difficult tightrope Starmer has to walk with Scotland. On the one hand, he wants to be seen to be standing up for the Union, but on the other, he wants to offer a tangible alternative to the status quo. It’s a middle of the road position which risks taking flak from both sides. 

As Labour learned from their policy on Europe ‘you can’t please all of the people all of the time’, but sometimes you can make everyone really angry. 

Starmer’s bold vision also risks being drowned out by the cacophony of crises the UK faces at the moment. A no-deal Brexit, chaos at the ports, Christmas cancelled, the prospect of imminent shortages and a new strain of COVID 19 leave little room for anything else. 

He has also taken attention away from his own launch by refusing to call for an extension to the transition period. 

Given all these headwinds, what they come up with really will have to be bold if it is to tip the scales.  

(Written by Tom Cropper, Edited by Klaudia Fior)

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