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Sir Keir Starmer has taken the bold, if not baffling decision to appeal further to right-leaning voters in the UK, after he reserved praise for Margaret Thatcher in his latest article for The Telegraph.
The piece, published on Sunday, paid tribute to the former Prime Minister for ‘dragging Britain out of its stupor’. Thatcher still remains a bitterly detested figure amongst many Labour supporters, and her legacy is one of the most divisive in UK politics.
Alas, Starmer has thrown caution to the wind, imploring disillusioned Tories to ‘take another look at Labour’. His attempt to court these potential floating voters is likely to leave a sour taste among long-term Labour backers.
“Across Britain, there are people who feel disillusioned, frustrated, angry, worried. I also understand that many will still be uncertain about Labour. I ask them to take a look at us again.”
“Margaret Thatcher sought to drag Britain out of its stupor by setting loose our natural entrepreneurialism… effecting meaningful change.”
“The course of shock therapy we gave our party had one purpose: to ensure that we were once again rooted in the priorities, the concerns and the dreams of ordinary British people. To put country before party.” | Keir Starmer
The Peace and Justice Project, founded by Jeremy Corbyn, was one of the first leading voices to criticise Starmer and his article. They slammed Thatcher for her ‘economic assault on the working class’, issuing a warning for Sir Keir in the process.
“Margaret Thatcher’s legacy is one of economic assault on working class communities, destroying vital public services and cosying up to the murderous dictator Pinochet. No aspiring government should seek to imitate the devastation she left behind.” | Peace & Justice Project
Richard Murphy, a political campaigner and Professor of Accounting Practice at the University of Sheffield, also took offence to Starmer’s position. He vehemently contests the notion that the ‘Iron Lady’ was responsible for releasing entrepreneurialism across the country:
“Margaret Thatcher did not release entrepreneurialism in the UK. She released monopolistic exploitation. As someone who knows the true meaning of being an entrepreneur, I can tell you that neither is in any way similar to entrepreneurialism.”| Professor Richard Murphy
