I’m wholly in favour of PR. That’s in the absence of what I consider to be a true Labour government of course - I.e. a Socialist Democratic Party, as it says on the tin. That’s gone, so yes, it’s PR for me.

We're both old enough to know the UK will never elect a party on a pure socialist slate for the reasons I've outlined. 5 yr parliaments. I'd have to say that the current standard bearers are thick as mince. Sultana, Corbyn? Really? Corbyn hasn't developed his thinking since he was a teenager.

I’m not advocating those two per se. But I wouldn’t hesitate to advocate their broad principles and direction of policy. I hate to engage in whataboutery, but there’s not much brains in the cabinet. In terms of intellect and by way of example, Starmer isn’t on the same planet as Blair and Brown.

B&B, whilst exceptionally able were flawed. They did have a much stronger wicket to bat on though. Kinnock had seen off the dissent in the party, Major had settled the Europe issue & sorted the economy out. Starmer has to do all 3, against a much more hostile media & an economy the Tories mined.

I accept all that, but from what I’ve seen of Starmer over the past ten years, he’s ordinary at best.

Aside from the whatboutIraq diehards, many on the left who hated him for years are now using Blair to beat Starmer. Different times and circumstances. Brown was much more of the left, Blair managerial. If roles had been reversed 97 would have tight & the Tories would have won in 2001.

I’m not talking about policy, just the individual capabilities. I’d also say that Smith was far more capable than Starmer.

Read "What does Jeremy think?"for an apolitical view of the relative strengths of PMs & LOLs from Thatcher onward. He wasn't impressed by Smith. PMs, & LOLs need to be leaders who manage. Neither can be delegated £ the strength of those qualities determines success or failure.

Communication skills are also critical these days. As is ruthlessness. Starmer is weak on the first. It's difficult to think of any major Labour figure since Blair who was the complete package. Of the current crop Streeting is the coming man for my money.

Depends on who’s judging. Communication skills and ruthlessness maybe, but I want people of integrity, with clear leadership skills and some ability to inspire. There are too many arseholes in politics. It’s probably naive in the present day, but first and foremost, I want decent human beings.

The trouble is that we tend to judge people as decent by the way we see them behave. This is fine in most of our experience. I think all of the pantry vols are decent people. It's when people are under pressure that we may see things differently. Leading a country is the most stressful thing.