Following fairly disastrous election results, Keir Starmer has carried out a minor reshuffle of what is laughably referred to as his "Top Team". Will anyone really notice ?
The initial headline was the removal of Angela Rayner from her role as Party Chairman which was greeted with bemusement by most. If, as he repeatedly claimed, Starmer took full responsibility for the failings of his party's election campaign, why was he then apparently making Rayner a scapegoat ? To demonstrate the actual weakness of his own position, Rayner was then rapidly recycled into assorted roles including as Michael Gove's shadow, a senior position.
Less fortunate was the ineffectual Anneliese Dodds who has been almost invisible during her tenure as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. Dodds has gone, to be replaced by the egregious harridan, Rachel Reeves, whose main ability seems to be to speak over, under and round all and sundry while rudely ignoring their right of reply. Dodds herself has been retained in the role of Party Chairman, though why is an unanswered question. If the gobby Rayner couldn't succeed in it, how on earth will the mouse-like Dodds ?
Other changes seem to be cosmetic rather than substantial. the long serving Nick Brown has received the order of the boot and been replaced as Chief Whip by his deputy, Alan Campbell. Shadow Leader of the House, Valerie Vaz, sister of the disgraced Keith, has been replaced by Thangam Debbonaire. Finally, one Shabana Mahmood has been given the job of Campaigns' Coordinator, a role previously held by Rayner, and Wes Streeting (who ?) has become something to do with child poverty.
There can be no doubt that Ms Reeves will make more of a splash than did her predecessor though the rest seem to be simply the replacement of one bunch of virtual unknowns by another. That the reshuffle wasn't more extensive appears to indicate that Starmer's own position is now very weak and there has already been talk of a leadership challenge, although this seems unlikely to materialise just yet.
The Labour Party is in turmoil, virtually leaderless, certainly directionless. It's credibility will be sorely tested by the forthcoming By-election if the constituency of Batley & Spen, vacated by the newly elected Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, and where a Labour majority of 6,000 in 2015 had already been reduced to 3,500 by 2019. Losing this seat, once in the possession of the murdered Jo Cox, would surely place the spotlight very firmly on Starmer's leadership and could well be sufficient to bring about a leadership election.
Then there would be the question of who, out of the innumerable available nonentities, would replace him. Fun times ahead.
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