Angela Rayner and Lord Mandelson are just the latest examples of Starmer’s erring judgement when it comes to character, writes Eliot Wilson

Last week was not a good one for Sir Keir Starmer. On Tuesday, he held the first meeting of his new-look cabinet, a reshuffle forced on him by the resignation of the deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner. Her departure had been prompted by a number of unanswered questions – let’s be charitable – about her purchase of a property in Hove, her liability for stamp duty and her entry, or entries, on the electoral register.

The cabinet reshuffle had been especially galling for Starmer as it had come at the end of the week which had begun with his unveiling of new advisers in Downing Street. Bringing in former chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones as his agent of delivery had been billed as marking “phase two” of his premiership. Desperate to underline the fact that this was a reset of his government, he vowed he would: “demonstrate it could deliver higher living standards, so that people actually feel better off; improvements to public services, particularly the NHS; and security, both in terms of where people live and securing our borders.”

Changing behind-the-scenes advisers will always pale in comparison to a shuffle of the ministerial pack, however, and the carefully........

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