‘As the Left springs back across Europe, this could be Keir Starmer’s golden chance’ – Kevin Maguire

If the Left’s springing back to life across Europe, why not Britain, where Starmer could be in with a shout of Downing Street, writes Kevin Maguire

Show passion and vision to electrify the electorate and Keir Starmer could be in with a shout of Downing Street.

True, he goes into next week’s Labour conference with the party slightly behind the incompetent Tories in the polls and critics labelling him a loser.

But if the Left’s springing back to life across Europe, why not Britain?

The leader in Germany of the SDP, Labour’s sister party, is favourite in next Sunday’s federal elections to replace Angela Merkel as Chancellor as she retires after 16 years at the helm.

Olaf Scholz, like Starmer, is dismissed as robotic but the broad-faced “grinning Smurf” may enjoy the last laugh.

Labour in Norway’s negotiating a coalition after beating a right-wing governing party to join left-wingers running Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.

Over in the US, Joe Biden’s domestic policies on wages, jobs, spending and investment since ousting Donald Trump are the most left-wing – liberal in American political language – for decades.

Starmer might already be a lost cause, his enemies within Labour on the party’s left and right both on the money in asserting the die is cast.

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But the volatility of politics tells us another future is possible should he find a convincing voice.

Display the missing passion and give people compelling reasons to vote Labour, then a shop-soiled Conservative Party under the stewardship of a promise-breaking liar could quickly crumble.

Fail, with next week’s Brighton jamboree flopping with Starmer giving a low-voltage performance, and the knives will be sharpened. All’s to play for, all to lose.

There’s no doubt the former chief prosecutor possesses the intellectual heft and desire to become Prime Minister but Covid’s no longer an alibi.

Smash an incapable Johnson and thrill the jury to give Labour a fighting chance of joining its European allies and he could be PM.

Flunk next week’s trial and Starmer will find himself in the dock.

Party conferences matter. As he’ll discover one way or the other.

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