Lewis Goodall

I don't think he has a very broad kind of intellectual life beyond what is right in front of him. That's not to say he's not intelligent. He clearly is. But he doesn't have a very broad sort of intellectual life. And so I think, and I've asked him about this, You sort of ask politicians, who are your political heroes? Or who are you more like? Are you more like Harold Wilson?

I don't think he has a very broad kind of intellectual life beyond what is right in front of him. That's not to say he's not intelligent. He clearly is. But he doesn't have a very broad sort of intellectual life. And so I think, and I've asked him about this, You sort of ask politicians, who are your political heroes? Or who are you more like? Are you more like Harold Wilson?

Are you more like Tony Blair? And normally, Labour leaders in particular really enjoy talking about that stuff. They might sidestep the question, but on some level, they kind of enjoy it. Starmer recoils from it. He hates it. He actually eschews and is distrustful of political ideas, full stop.

Are you more like Tony Blair? And normally, Labour leaders in particular really enjoy talking about that stuff. They might sidestep the question, but on some level, they kind of enjoy it. Starmer recoils from it. He hates it. He actually eschews and is distrustful of political ideas, full stop.

And so that can be helpful sometimes because it means he's quite, let's put it this way, intellectually nimble. He can kind of move quite easily from kind of one area to the next. But what it does mean is that your troops are kind of like uncertain about what we're actually fighting for here. What are the things we really, really care about?

And so that can be helpful sometimes because it means he's quite, let's put it this way, intellectually nimble. He can kind of move quite easily from kind of one area to the next. But what it does mean is that your troops are kind of like uncertain about what we're actually fighting for here. What are the things we really, really care about?

and crucially, in an era which is actually being defined by big ideas. And those ideas right now are coming all from the right. You know, they're fighting a war of intellectual aggression day after day after day, painting very clearly exactly what is going on, why they think is going on, and what should be done about it. Starmer has very little to say.

and crucially, in an era which is actually being defined by big ideas. And those ideas right now are coming all from the right. You know, they're fighting a war of intellectual aggression day after day after day, painting very clearly exactly what is going on, why they think is going on, and what should be done about it. Starmer has very little to say.

I'm not entirely certain, really, what it is that Labour or Starmer conceive even the question of politics right now to be, let alone the answer.

I'm not entirely certain, really, what it is that Labour or Starmer conceive even the question of politics right now to be, let alone the answer.

I think you're right that the problem is with that is twofold. One is Labour leaders are expected to actually provide a lot more intellectual justification for what they do than others, than conservatives, partly because the media environment is so hostile to them, partly because, as I say, the Labour Party actually is a much more kind of like over intellectualizes things generally.

I think you're right that the problem is with that is twofold. One is Labour leaders are expected to actually provide a lot more intellectual justification for what they do than others, than conservatives, partly because the media environment is so hostile to them, partly because, as I say, the Labour Party actually is a much more kind of like over intellectualizes things generally.

But I think it's important for another reason, which is that the Labour Party, I mean, Harold Wilson once famously said that the Labour Party is a moral crusade or it is nothing, right? The whole point of the Labour Party is that it isn't supposed to just be a party of the status quo. It's supposed to be a party which offers a moral and political critique to capitalism, right?

But I think it's important for another reason, which is that the Labour Party, I mean, Harold Wilson once famously said that the Labour Party is a moral crusade or it is nothing, right? The whole point of the Labour Party is that it isn't supposed to just be a party of the status quo. It's supposed to be a party which offers a moral and political critique to capitalism, right?

And the thing about Starmer is, and what he's offered, is that everything he talks about It's great. I mean, of course we want growth, right? Of course we want the trains to run better. Of course we want the economy to be better. Of course we want more investment. All of this stuff, any party would want that. The Conservative Party would want that. Rishi Sunak would have wanted that.

And the thing about Starmer is, and what he's offered, is that everything he talks about It's great. I mean, of course we want growth, right? Of course we want the trains to run better. Of course we want the economy to be better. Of course we want more investment. All of this stuff, any party would want that. The Conservative Party would want that. Rishi Sunak would have wanted that.

And if your politics is simply... a politics of delivery, if your politics is just, okay, we might want the same things, but we can deliver it in a way the other party can't because we're more competent. Well, there are two problems with that. One, what happens if you fail? You're left with literally nothing in terms of your politics.

And if your politics is simply... a politics of delivery, if your politics is just, okay, we might want the same things, but we can deliver it in a way the other party can't because we're more competent. Well, there are two problems with that. One, what happens if you fail? You're left with literally nothing in terms of your politics.

You have no kind of adhesive which binds together your political coalition because it was one based on efficacy and delivery. And the other problem with it is that in an era, as I say, defined by

You have no kind of adhesive which binds together your political coalition because it was one based on efficacy and delivery. And the other problem with it is that in an era, as I say, defined by