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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-
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:
Thats a bit of a bad example imo. People turned on it because it was an utterly shambolic idea. Even Conservative ministers shied away from what was essentially an attempt to get low paid workers paying more tax to help elderly property owners pass on an inheritance to their families. It lost popularity because it was an epically unfair and bad idea.
Stonehedge
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?)