“But I’d be really clear, it is something that occupies my time,” he said.
“I do think in the end, delivery is the way forward. It’s about a disaffection in politics, the easy answer is appealing if people don’t think there’s a better answer, and so progressives have to provide the better answer.”
POLITICO revealed last week that Starmer’s strategy to quell the far right in the wake of the riots focuses on the fairly prosaic tackling of everyday issues, such as potholes and hospital waiting times.
And he landed in Berlin to warnings from Labour allies that there are harsh lessons to be learned from the German experience, particularly surrounding environmental policies that hit voters in their pockets.
“Clear out the rot”
So far Starmer’s time in office has been notably gloomy, characterized by his blaming of the Conservatives for Britain’s many problems. He accuses his predecessors, who spent the last 14 years in office, for wrecking the economy and amassing a £22 billion financial black hole.
But if the U.K. prime minister’s going to overcome the far-right threat then he will need, by his own measure, to make good on his promises to turn things around before the next general election, due in the next five years.