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He tried diplomacy
What the fuck?
He literally made a bunch of pledges to the Labour Left* and then completely reneged on them, and shortly kicked all the left out of his cabinet. There was no diplomacy at all.
I have no idea why he's doing this to be honest. While the heavily right wing tabloids pressed everyone into hating Corbyn (which he certainly didn't counter at all well) left wing policies themselves are still immensely popular - nationalising public services, taxing the rich increasing nhs spending etc.
I can only think Starmer's plan to win the next election is to get Murdoch's support with a bunch of economically right wing policies a la Blair.
(*like isn't Labour supposed to be a left wing party?)
Jezston-
I have no idea why he's doing this to be honest. While the heavily right wing tabloids pressed everyone into hating Corbyn (which he certainly didn't counter at all well) left wing policies themselves are still immensely popular
I think I can help here. You're right, left wing policies are extremely popular when they're passive (should we raise more money for the NHS?). But as soon as they're made tangible (we will be raising money for the NHS from YOU), they suffer from 'real world' wilt.
Look at the collapse in support for an increase in National Insurance to pay for the NHS backlog. In August this was a very popular policy - two thirds of people supported it, when it didn't really look like it was going to happen:
Within a month - and the ever increasing likelihood that it would actually happen - that support had wilted to 33%:
https://twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1435600668711075840
The people who changed their minds aren't evil. They're not selfish. They just thought about it a bit more. They moved a policy in their minds from the general to the personal - from 'should we do this' to 'how will it affect me if we do this - how will it help, how will it hinder, how much will it affect my ability to put food on the table'. This is the difference between thinking about a policy in general terms vs thinking about it in personal terms. We have to do both.
You might dislike Starmer but I think we can both agree he's a pragmatist who wants to win elections. If there was a simple, easy way to come up with a set of policies which were universally popular with everyone, he would take it. That he isn't pursuing left wing policies isn't proof that he's a monster, its proof that (to this best of his knowledge) doing so will not increase his chances of winning an election.
With love I think this is the trouble with factionalism. I did the same thing with Corbyn. 'Why can't he just back Remain' I'd say, 'the membership are all in favour of it, and it's the right thing to do, the man's a liar and a hypocrite and a coward'. It's that cartoon image of him I had in my head which prevented me from seeing the very real electoral calculus he was attempting to balance by NOT coming out in favour of Remain. It's very clear to me from the other side of the fence now - but I know when we don't feel listened to it's much easier to believe a cartoon version of our political counterparts not only exists but also runs the damn party.
ReekBlefs
Sure, of course its a two way thing.
That said, its not as if Starmer went into leadership with a plan to purge. He tried diplomacy and I expect realised that short of magically transforming into Jeremy Corbyn himself, was never going to have a constructive discourse with Corbyn fanatics. Once in that position, what choices does he have available to him? Spending the next few years infighting with people who will never accept his politics or attempting to unify the party and accept the cost/damage of losing some members?
And for what its worth, I like Jeremy Corbyn. He's a man, mostly, of great principle. Somebody who believes in a fairer world. On the other hand, he's also a man who repeatedly supressed reports into antisemitism and was found to have presided over the party during a period in which it was found to have broken the law.
From the EHRC report:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54731222
The issue of anti semitism was used as a stick to beat Labour to great effect in the run up to the 2019 GE and its an issue that had to be dealt with. Suspending a member who was responsible for the party during that period should not be seen as a purge.