DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Shifty Starmer lets slip his true colours

It was Napoleon who supposedly counselled that one should never interrupt your opponent while they’re making mistakes.

As the faction-ridden Tories lurch from crisis to crisis, Sir Keir Starmer seems to have adopted that maxim as a political strategy.

He clearly hopes Labour can ride into Downing Street on a wave of anger at the Conservatives without having to set out a single policy worth the name.

But that position will be impossible to maintain. Before casting their votes, the public will want to know what he’d actually do if he got his hands on the levers of power.

On the economy, health and much else, there is a gaping void. Yesterday, however, the mask slipped and we got a chilling glimpse of life under a Labour government.

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer reacting during Prime Ministers’ Questions on December 13

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer (right) walks with shadow secretary of state for energy security and net zero Ed Miliband, as they attend Cop28 in Dubai

It emerged the party may revert to type by imposing eye-watering new taxes for a £28billion-a-year splurge on ‘green’ projects.

A further windfall tax on the oil and gas giants may be popular. 

But treating these companies as pariahs would be economically illiterate, costing investment and jobs in Britain, reducing tax receipts, and meaning they had billions less to sink into a market-led development of renewables.

Even more terrifying are reports that Labour’s leader is an adherent to Milibandism – the worldview of hapless Ed Miliband.

This election loser is an unashamed believer in high taxes, trade union power, class warfare, open borders, the EU, eco-fundamentalism and wokery.

Hard as Sir Keir tries to reassure voters that his party is in moderate hands, the truth is he shares this political DNA.

Sadly, unless the Tories up their game, Labour will win the election at a canter – and leave us with the ugly face of militant Leftism.

End the Channel evil

After a week dominated by the unedifying posturing and squabbles of British politicians over the Rwanda scheme, we got a harrowing reminder of why it is so urgently required.

The latest tragedy in the Channel, when at least one migrant perished after a flimsy dinghy capsized, underscored the pressing need to end this dreadful traffic.

Despite Britain handing them £500million, the French authorities are unable – or unwilling – to do anything to stop criminal gangs launching small boats from their shores.

That’s why the Prime Minister’s plan to deter illegal migrants by sending them to Rwanda is the best chance to end this evil trade.

When the legislation returns to Parliament, warring Tory MPs must overcome their differences and unite behind the scheme. It may flop. But if we don’t try, we’ll never know.

Migrants rescued by the French coast guard following a tragedy near Calais this morning

As ever, Sir Keir Starmer has nothing to offer. Absurdly, he would scrap the deportation flights – even if they worked.

By wringing their hands on this issue and opposing the Government’s strategy as illiberal, the Left is helping perpetuate this vile criminal enterprise – and its callous disregard for human life.

Time to deliver justice

The persecution of thousands of innocent postmasters wrongly accused of theft and false accounting by the Post Office is one of the worst miscarriages of justice in modern times.

Over 15 years, these decent people were financially ruined. Marriages and livelihoods destroyed, reputations shredded. Some went to jail. At least four were driven to suicide.

Yet there had been no dishonesty. The financial discrepancies were down to disastrous faults in the Post Office’s Horizon computer system, which executives knew about but cynically covered up.

Of more than 900 postmasters receiving convictions, only 93 have so far had them quashed. 

Now the independent board overseeing compensation has called for them all to be officially cleared. Until then, it says, ‘we cannot put this scandal behind us’. Ministers should act.

Nothing can ever make up for all the postmasters have suffered. But at least this is a chance to restore their good name.

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