Time For Elevenses?

An 11-point lead for what? It would not hold a big, boozy party in Downing Street the night before the Queen’s funeral, but in policy terms, what difference would a Labour Government make?

At the very least, it is time to implement Theresa May’s original Prime Ministerial agenda of workers’ and consumers’ representation in corporate governance, shareholders’ control over executive pay, restrictions on pay differentials within companies, an investment-based Industrial Strategy and infrastructure programme including greatly increased housebuilding, action against tax avoidance including a ban on public contracts for tax-avoiding companies, a real cap on energy prices, a ban or significant restrictions on foreign takeovers, a ban on unpaid internships, and an inquiry into Orgreave.

Who would be likely to do those things? Keir Starmer? Rachel Reeves? David Lammy? Yvette Cooper? Peter Kyle? Jess Phillips? Pat McFadden? Wes Streeting? Liz Truss? But Rishi Sunak just might. Not because he particularly believed in them, but in order to offset losses to the Liberal Democrats by picking up seats that had voted for Jeremy Corbyn both times, as has already happened at Hartlepool.

There would then have to emerge an Opposition, whether the Labour Party or something else, that was willing and able to fight on that ground. This is a very long shot. But it is the best that we have.