Even if Keir Starmer does find a way to inspire more confidence, he’ll never beat Johnson without the help of rebels
It is natural that people who campaign for a political party and identify with its history treat its traditions with a certain reverence. It is also a pattern in British politics that effective party leaders – the ones who win elections – handle those traditions roughly.
That is why Boris Johnson is not overly concerned that many Tories think his “health and social care levy” betrays their sacred low-tax creed. He hears the complaint as proof that he belongs in the pantheon of prime ministers who brought new categories of believer to their parties. There could be no Thatcherites without Margaret Thatcher, no Blairites without Blair.
