Britain’s first-past-the-post rulebook tilts politics to the right. But the opposition still refuses to back an alternative
As the Tories flatline, two big questions must prey on Keir Starmer’s mind: can he win, and will a government that he leads really change British society? According to one way of thinking, these are unconnected dilemmas – Labour just needs to get over the line and only then worry about what needs to be done. But means and ends can never be separated.
How Starmer wins will shape how he governs. In our tumultuous times, winning office is necessary but not sufficient; winning the power to act in big ways over a long time is essential. So how can the Labour leader both win and be prepared for what comes next?
Neal Lawson is director of the cross-party campaign organisation Compass
