One of the last true believers, Pat McFadden is sent out to defend kryptonite Keir | John Crace
Starmer is determined to see his five-year term through, even if it’s not what the country or the party wants
AI Summary
Pat McFadden, a Labour minister and one of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's remaining loyalists, defended the party's strategy of keeping Starmer largely absent from the campaign trail ahead of elections, claiming the prime minister had been occupied with running the country rather than campaigning. According to the piece, internal polling and canvasser feedback indicated that Starmer's public appearances were damaging Labour's electoral prospects, with voters responding negatively to his involvement in the campaign. McFadden argued that Starmer's low profile was necessary given his focus on managing national crises including an antisemitism response and fallout from an Iran war initiated by the previous government.