UK Labour Party Unlikely To Return To 'Blairite' Days Under New Leader - Communist Party

LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th April, 2020) The departure of left-leaning Jeremy Corbyn and the rise to leadership of the more center-left Keir Starmer will not necessarily lead to a major reorientation toward the right, despite the result being a setback for socialists within the Labour party, Robert Griffiths, the general secretary of the UK Communist Party, told Sputnik on Monday.

"I think it would be wrong to say he [Starmer] represents a return to New Labour or that he's an out right-winger. He doesn't fit easily into the mold of being a Blairite. I think Starmer is not really in that 'New Labour' category. He may end up there but his record is more akin to being a social democrat," Griffiths said.

Starmer's ascension to the position of Labour Party leader on April 4 has marked a decisive end to the otherwise controversial tenure of Corbyn, who was initially a surprise contender when it came to the 2015 leadership election. Former Labour leader had presided over a troubled period in office, at times being heavily criticized over claims as to endemic anti-Semitism in party ranks and an arguably convoluted position on UK's withdrawal from the European Union.

Griffiths noted that Starmer was unlikely to suffer as badly as his predecessor when it came to the attention of an otherwise hostile media, given his past record as a "middle of the road social democrat."

"I think there's no denying it's a setback. We've had the change in the composition of the Shadow Cabinet, it's not a complete purge of the left... a lot of the forces around him certainly regard it as a victory for them and they want to push through changes in the party," the Communist general secretary argued.

Of particular note is the selection of Starmer's own Shadow Cabinet, which has seen the departure of well known left-wing stalwarts such as Diane Abbot and John McDonnell. The new leader has also not been shy about engaging with figures otherwise seen as long-term adversaries to Corbyn, including former leadership contenders Jess Phillips and Liz Kendall.

Whether the inclusion of such figures will necessarily lead to Labour's reorientation toward the right is yet unclear. Starmer himself has been described as a more central figure when it comes to political ideology, being better described as a "social democrat" than either a committed socialist of the Corbyn-brand or a dedicated proponent of the "New Labour" era politics of former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Whereas this may mean a softer approach toward domestic politics than some may fear, it could all the same lead to an endorsement of long-running themes in UK foreign policy, particularly in relation to membership of NATO and the possession of nuclear weapons, both of which had come up for critical scrutiny under Corbyn's tenure.

"He's in favor of democratic rights and civil liberties, he's generally in favor of modest policies of wealth redistribution and decent welfare state provision. He's not fanatically for privatizing everything... so in social and economic policies he's a fairly middle of the road social democrat," Griffiths told Sputnik.

Starmer is also as yet relatively untested when it comes to the pressures of higher-level national politics, having come into a position of authority as the UK struggles to deal with its own outbreak of COVID-19. Labour's future success in the polls may then depend on how the public perceives the current government's response to such a crisis, although the danger of political compromise and factional infighting that has otherwise marred party ranks for some years could remain a liability.