This is speaking at a Labour leadership hustings in Cardiff in 2020. It epitomises who he is. All the candidates promoted themselves and there was quite a lot of ego on stage. But it was noticeably absent with Keir. He was last and ended his pitch by turning to all the other candidates and saying that each one would make an excellent Labour leader. None of the others did it, of course. As for the content of his speech, it showed him to be super-smart, a deep thinker used to dealing with complex situations, making difficult decisions & formulating workable strategies. A decent, powerful man in the best sense of the word, not driven by ego; a rarity in politics.
There was no 'persuasion' campaign amongst MPs, no offers of positions in his shadow cabinet if they supported him and he won. And he wanted members to choose freely. Which they did. He was elected as Labour leader with a resounding majority in the first round. The second of two Labour leaders to have achieved that in Labour's history.
Then Keir Starmer won that landslide, one of three Labour leaders ever to win a stonking majority.
None of it was luck. As Prime Minister' he strengthened the economy, stabilised the UK and led the push to unify and strengthen, also supporting Ukraine against Putin's war. Policies expected to bear fruit in four years were already doing so in two, despite having inherited a massively divided society, flailing economy, a £22 billion fiscal hole, whilst also dealing with the lunacy and instability of Trump and the impact of the Ukraine and Iran wars.
Importantly, members of his cabinet were chosen for their commitment, expertise and experience. There was no underhandedness, no dirty dealing, no offering powerful positions just for loyalty to himself.
In fact, as Labour leader he made Louise Haigh Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and then Transport and as Prime Minister he appointed her as Secretary of State for Transport. This despite that she had been Lisa Nandy's campaign manager in the Labour leadership contest.
Yet she, Burnham, Lucy Powell, Ed Miliband, Yvette Cooper, Angela Rayner and possibly even John Healey, were engineering a coup behind Keir Starmer's back for a full year before it burst into action. And now Haigh is pretty much running the show.
She, Burnham and his cohort of backstabbers - all MPs with powerful ambitions of their own who have no problem with backstabbing - have brought dishonour and shame on the Labour Party. The cynical betrayals and sheer, reckless waste of everything achieved by a formidably competent, decent, integrity-driven Prime Minister who always held himself accountable and made no excuses for himself is truly beyond belief.
Just as it's always been obvious that Nigel Farage would self destruct, which he is doing now, so is it clear that Andy Burnham's government - if you can call it that; it feels more like a club of school kids playing grown-ups - will fall apart, because it's founded on egotistic ambition, dishonesty and betrayal; MPs rewarded with cabinet posts for 'loyalty' to the dear leader, as opposed to suitability for the position. Rifts are already appearing; Labour is desperately trying to corral members and MPs into a show of unity but of course they're failing and flailing.
After Burnham made a big song and dance about not relying on discipline, but allowing everybody to have their say, Louise Haigh and Antonia Romeo have sent a letter out telling MPs that there will be consequences if they leak to the press, and if their staff do it, the MP will suffer. Which means dissent is rife enough within this allegedly wonderfully united, happy family to make Haigh and Burnham worried.
Keir Starmer walked away with his head held high, as he had every right to do. But a lot of Labour members went into shock and are still struggling to deal with it. This Labour member wants him back. Is that an impossible pipe dream? Every big idea is, until it happens.
