“Sir Keir isn’t a King Lear,” a Labour activist once said to me, somewhat cryptically. I think it meant he’s not an imposing figure, but it differs for people how anyone comes across. There are also nuances for us all, in political circles, as to what anything means collectively.
The current times are not favourable to the softly-softly approach of a Labour figure. Sir Tony Blair ran the same risk and he fell on his own sword, believed by many in its top ranks that he couldn’t keep up with the times anymore, so he left.
It’s not that Sir Keir is due to leave soon, but his exit of a number of key staff has shown it won’t inevitably hold together, even if it’s led by his own intuition and activity.
