That Starmer fella...

I mean, I don't think he's right wing in the sense Nigel Farage is, but to say he's left wing is a huge stretch or - possibly more likely - an interpretation of left wing that is somewhat different to mine.

While DPP he also:

1. Supported a government “superdatabase” that would collect all phone and internet communications.
   
2. Altered CPS guidelines to facilitate the prosecution of peaceful protesters and punish alleged ‘rioters’ with harsher jail sentences.
   
3. Whitewashed the spycops scandal, protecting undercover police officers who had stitched-up leftwing activists.
   
4. Failed to prosecute the lead MI5 officer in the case of Binyam Mohamed.
   
5. Obstructed an application by the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers (of which he was previously a member) for the private prosecution of former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni for alleged war crimes.
   
6. Proposed more lengthy prison sentences for benefit cheats.
   
   

Which rather suggests his appetite for upholding human rights and the rule of is selective at best.

The 'TheyWorkForYou' cut and paste is, as hugo7 says, placing him firmly in centrist dad territory (especially since he abstained on the Tory Welfare Bill along with an awful lot of Labour MPs to their eternal shame). He'd have no business being in the Labour party if he didn't have such a voting record (but that's another debate entirely). Less Rosa Luxemburg, more Waitrosa Luxemburg.

If you look at his direction of travel, it probably gives you a better indication of his actual politics. For me, he looks like someone who doesn't really like change, certainly not of the radical kind. And given his more recent moves, he seems like the living embodiment of the Groucho Marx quote: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others."

But YMMV. I doubt either of us are going to convince the other of his merits or otherwise.

The problem for Starmer is, if you think he's a closet lefty, you can bet your sweet life the editors/proprietors of some of our more popular newspapers think so too. And we all know how little 'evidence' they need to launch orchestrated hatchet jobs, as demonstrated nicely by the lovely selection of front pages posted earlier.

E2a: I note the TheyWorkForYou list says he's pro nationalising railways. Wonder if he'd actually come out and say that now.