Vincent Boland: Starmer’s main obstacle to power is himself and his deeply divided party
How the Labour leader handles accusations of giving a free pass to the Israelis will be a vital test
You would think, on the evidence, that being the leader of the opposition in Britain today is the cushiest job in politics. The country is in bad shape after 13 years of Conservative party government. Its economy is stagnant, taxes are at a post-war high, there seems to be no money for anything, Brexit is a dud, and the union of the four nations is under severe strain.
The Tories are so politically, economically, intellectually and morally clapped out that they can barely string an argument together for why anybody should vote for them. The party lost heavily in two by-elections in safe seats last month. Even their cheerleaders are giving up on them. The comment pages of the Daily Telegraph these days read like howls of anguish from the Slough of Despond.
