Cosplaying Reform will doom Labour

Labour needs to respond to a real feeling that it has drifted away from ordinary people’s priorities.

But at its heart is the question: what does social democracy mean now? Keir Starmer needs to do two things at once.

He must respond to the feeling that he has drifted.

But he must also come up with policy answers that don’t mimic Reform.

Downing Street is nervous about tone the feeling that the government is ideological or messianic about green austerity, or committed to targets that will complicate ordinary lives for no clear benefit.

For him the climate crisis is also about resilience, and there needs to be greater emphasis on shielding people from extreme heat, protection from flooding and planning for agricultural droughts.