Keir can fire up Labour.. then join another party

IT’S Keir Starmer’s big day, and I’m looking forward to it.

This is his first leader’s speech in front of Labour’s conference, and he’s gotta show what might be called Keirisma.

The risks are only too clear. It’s an unrivalled opportunity for disgruntled Corbynites to attack him from the Left, and for the merciless Right-wing media rabble to trash him as a latter-day Stalin.

The leader is always too moderate, or too radical, to please either the faithful or the critics. Who would want to lead the Labour Party? It must be the most thankless task in public life.

History is littered with the names of those who didn’t make it to Downing Street: John Smith, robbed of victory by a heart attack; Michael Foot, trounced by Mrs T; Neil Kinnock, pipped at the post by charisma-free John Major; and dear old Jezza, beaten by both Theresa May and Boris Thingummy (remember him?).

Two Labour premiers – Gordon Brown and Jim Callaghan – only made it by virtue of party leadership polls, not general elections. And they didn’t reign long.

I’ve watched them all come and go, indeed I’ve written books on the subject.

And though I’m a fully paid-up Labour Party member and four-times failed council candidate, I’m more detached these days. I’m no Tony Benn. He stayed passionate about “ishoos” well into his late eighties. I can’t get het up about rewilding or proportional representation.

But the most important event of the day, of course, isn’t inside the conference hall or on the hectic fringe. It’s the Daily Mirror party in a dockside restaurant.

Will we see Keir cutting a rug on the dance floor? I doubt it, but you never know with politicians.