The Uxbridge byelection victory should have bolstered the Tory campaign – instead, it’s triggered a battle over green policy
What’s the biggest mistake Keir Starmer has made this year? Given that the Labour leader enjoys a 19-point poll lead, you could argue there aren’t many to pick from. Figures on the left of the party cite policy decisions such as sticking with the two-child benefit cap. But Downing Street would point you back to four months ago and Labour’s attack ads. The springtime offensive saw Starmer fight dirty as his party accused Rishi Sunak of not believing adults convicted of sexually abusing children should go to prison.
They were designed as a stress test (with mixed results) for the shadow cabinet and parliamentary party on the need to hold a difficult line in an election campaign. But in No 10 they were seen as a green light for the Tories to go further. “His strategic mistake was to step in the gutter,” argues one senior government figure. With the polls showing little sign of improvement, No 10 is now planning to join Starmer there. The Tories are going into fight mode.
