Tears for Piers shows Starmer has a story to tell – he should be unafraid of telling it
For what was clearly a risk, Keir Starmer’s interview on ITV’s Piers Morgan’s Life Stories was surprisingly softball. Described by Paul Waugh as “probably the best piece of mainstream, primetime PR” Starmer has had, it gave him the time and space to introduce himself to the nation as the man, not the politician.
Yes, Twitter is not the real world, but it is also a pretty hostile place for Keir Starmer. Yet a customary scroll through #LifeStories immediately after the interview saw an overwhelmingly positive sentiment, ranging from gushing praise from ‘stan’ accounts to the reluctant “I’m not usually a fan but…”. With widespread positive coverage in the media and a place on two front pages the next morning, all in all it was a good night for Starmer and a much-needed morale boost for his team.
Despite the positive feedback, it did not entirely dispel some of the doubts about whether he has the personality to be a leader in the modern age. Take charisma, or the lack thereof. In a world where our attention spans have fallen victim to smart phone addictions, it matters. If you are entertaining, like Boris Johnson, people may just give you that 45 seconds of their day to hear what you have to say.
Starmer is not a funny man nor is he good at creating punchy soundbites for the media. Yet paradoxically, his appearance with Piers Morgan showed that his personal story could be one of his strongest assets for a nation still trying to suss him out. He should be unafraid of telling it.
Early into his leadership, Dominic Cummings reportedly dismissed Starmer as a “remainer lawyer” - he was no threat to the Conservatives. While there is no denying that Keir Starmer is both a remainer and a lawyer, it taps into the wider Tory strategy of portraying him as the so-called metropolitan elite, more in tune with Waitrose than Workington. Indeed, Boris Johnson once described Islington as his “spiritual home”, conveniently forgetting that it was in fact the Prime Minister himself who was an Islington remainer not so long ago.
This characterisation has, thus far, been allowed to stick. Yet the interview with Piers Morgan shows how wildly inaccurate this representation really is – far from being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he is an underdog. He was brought up in a solidly working-class household with a heavily disabled mother and a distant relationship with his father. He has faced adversity in a way that many of us, least of all the Prime Minister, have had to deal with. Uncomfortable though he clearly is in talking about personal matters, weaving in his own experiences when discussing Labour’s position on issues like the NHS, housing and education would create the compelling and authentic narrative that has so far eluded him.
Yet despite the adversity, he also has a story to tell about aspiration. Traditionally, aspiration is something Labour has shied away talking about – it’s all a bit Tory. Perhaps today it stems from the self-loathing of Labour’s middle-class membership. But regardless of the source, it is entirely out of step with the wider country.
Most people want to get on in life. While, of course, no one likes smug overachievers, what most do like is a success story. Especially when the success story starts with humble origins and culminates with purchasing a donkey sanctuary for your mum when you have made a few quid. While the political landscape looks radically different from the days when Blair deemed it vital to secure the vote of the upwardly mobile Mondeo Man to win a general election, the principal is still the same. To build a coalition broad enough to win under First Past the Post, speaking to this group of voters remains as important as ever. For example, there is a tendency by some in the party to think the Red Wall is all food banks and poverty, and while this is a reality for far too many, there are towns like Darlington that are enjoying increasing affluence and home ownership. Starmer can speak directly to those who want a better life for themselves and their family because he has been there and done that – but he needs to start doing so.
In contrast to his personal life, an area that he has been altogether more comfortable talking about is his professional career. His professional backstory has two attributes that can appeal to two groups of the electorate, although that is not to suggest they are mutually exclusive. Firstly, his background as a human rights lawyer, regularly taking on pro bono work, featured heavily in the Labour leadership election and plays well with the base. If the public perception of lawyers is that they are overpaid money-grabbers, then surely one who works in part for free is not so bad. Certainly, more worthy of respect than say a journalist sacked for making up quotes.
Secondly, as Director of Public Prosecutions Starmer switched sides, away from being a ‘rebellious’ human rights lawyer and became an arm of the state. He has referred to his time in the position repeatedly, notably in Prime Minister’s Questions, highlighting his role in “prosecuting terrorists”. This has allowed him to play up his law-and-order credentials, another area where Labour have traditionally struggled. Perhaps his refusal to admit he had taken drugs on Tuesday evening stemmed from not wanting to blemish these law-and-order credentials. Certainly, his swift “no” when asked if he would support decriminalising cannabis during the Labour leadership hustings indicates there is little desire to distance himself from his prosecutorial background.
The interview with Morgan went some way to answer the question many outside the political bubble were asking; who is Keir Starmer? It showed that despite his slightly awkward camera presence, he is a generally likable family man with a determination to win power. It also showed that Labour has a lot to work with when projecting brand Starmer out to the general public. He should be unafraid of telling the compelling story about his life that drives his desire for change. It will also go some way to help him communicate the next big question many are asking. What does Keir Starmer actually stand for?
Harry McNeill
BCW Global