AFTER Jeremy Corbyn’s resignation, on April 4 2020 Sir Keir Starmer defeated Rebecca Long Bailey and Lisa Nandy in the Labour leadership election with more than 56 per cent of the vote.

Since then, he has been leading with a promise to unite the different ideological factions of the party.

There is an unfathomable political gap between this promise and his practice. He is pushing Labour in a direction where it is difficult to distinguish it from the Conservative Party.

Instead of fighting a directionless Tory government and exposing its failures, Starmer is fighting daily internal battles within Labour to wipe out any form of progressive and democratic political intervention to uphold the interests of people and the planet.

Starmer sacked Long Bailey in the first month after taking over as Labour leader.

The sacking of the junior shadow transport minister Sam Tarry for joining a rail strike picket line broke all forms of ideological solidarity with workers and the unions — the core of labour values.

It was not an individual attack on Tarry or an isolated political event. Starmer has been doing this since his leadership victory.

He is trying to create an ideology-free zone in politics concomitant with the political requirements of the Conservatives.

Starmer as an opposition leader offers nothing inspiring and nothing new for the British people. He has failed to provide any ideological or political direction to the Labour Party in terms of policies.

He has failed to provide any form of alternative vision which could defeat the Tories and revive progressive and democratic politics in Britain.

There is scant political attention to the everyday requirements of the masses for a dignified life. In the miserable political landscape of British politics, Starmer is a bright example of failed leadership on all fronts.

His bureaucratic managerialism and technocratic political positions lack any shred of clarity. The imposition of authority and power over the party by removing both leadership figures and members with a different viewpoint shows the undemocratic and intolerant character of Starmer — like a true conservative.

Reactionary nationalism with a religious flavour, warmongering imperialism with echoes of the colonial past and the power of transnational capital are the three driving forces behind British politics today.

Racial discrimination, gender and class bias, regional disparities, unemployment, rising debt, poverty, food insecurity, homelessness and failing standards of education and health are the stark reality for the powerless in Britain.

Tory politics is accelerating the cost-of-living crisis while Labour, as an opposition party under the leadership of Starmer, has failed to galvanise people and hold the government to account.

The interests of the working-class masses and their right to dignified lives is undermined by both the mainstream political parties and their national leadership in British politics today.

It is understandable that the Tories work for their capitalist friends and manipulate the masses by talking about the family, the nation and “security issues.” But these Conservative messages are only amplified by Starmer. It is clear that the Labour leader is a messenger of Tory values in political praxis.

Working people in Britain deserve better — and there is an alternative to this invisible reactionary alliance between the Tory and Labour leadership. The alternative can emerge from political unity and solidarity between different forms of working-class struggles.

From the trade union movement to the women’s movement, from student and youth movements to movements against racism, gender and sexual inequalities, to movements to protect the environment and all other emancipatory struggles — we need to form solidarity for a better tomorrow.