And there is no certainty that the Burnham coronation and a new seat of power at Manc a Lago is going to change that. Kier Starmer’s troubles began when he could not pass his welfare reforms. Despite a nominal 170+ majority in Parliament, the Labour coalition is now so broad that, individually, his MPs proved not to be that committed to their manifesto pledges. The King of the North may find himself faced with the mirror image of this problem. Within the more than 400 Labour MPs are probably sufficient Blairites, still believing that centrist, low spending government is the answer, to block the more expansionist plans he suggests he may have. Having “hope in our hearts” may not be enough to get anything done.
