Following a chaotic and deeply damaging row over welfare cuts, Keir Starmer can’t afford any more cock-ups, says Douglas Beattie

A year ago the general election campaign was closing and the country was about to vote for the first Labour government in 14 years. A year on, many at the top of the party accept that their period in office to date has been challenging – to put it mildly.

This point has been crystallised by the chaotic and deeply damaging row over welfare reform in recent days. Having made what were billed as major concessions to rebels in their own party, a government with a 165-seat majority then had to move again and all but shred their plans as the debate unfolded in the Commons.

Though the long-term damage of all this is unclear right now, I’m told anger over the mess on welfare reached deep inside the Cabinet and other senior positions in the party.

Of course, governments of all stripes have had to water down plans and perform........

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