Not another one

Keir Starmer starts a Substack

Keir Starmer (Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street)

There are, at a push, three subjects on which I consider myself an authority. The first being Roger Federer’s 2004-2007 seasons, the second fuel duty freezes and the third Taylor Swift lyrics, excluding Midnights (I just don’t think it’s her best work).

You’ll notice that newsletter writing didn’t make the list, and for good reason. Though I’ve hit ‘send’ on more than a thousand editions over the last five years, the medium still kicks my butt on a regular basis. Nevertheless, my interest was piqued at the sight of a new entrant into the world of Substack.

Politics that makes a difference

Over the weekend, Keir Starmer launched a self-titled newsletter, with a maiden post titled: Politics that makes a difference, focused on the recent steps the government has taken to lift children out of poverty through the lifting of the two-child benefit cap.

The post is a reasonable attempt to explain a worthy (and economically efficient) policy. It is also something Starmer himself clearly agrees with, even if there is an element of him and Rachel Reeves being dragged kicking and screaming to adopt it. Still, I’m a little confused.

Not about who wrote it. Obviously Starmer didn’t write it. The bloke is running Britain, fighting a grey-zone conflict with Russia and looking after two teenage children. But newsletters, even those authored by prime ministers, are all about voice. The medium is deeply personal, potentially landing in inboxes between an email from a loved one and a nasty utility bill. That’s why a slightly amorphous tone feels so jarring — it breaks the illusion of intimacy.

Ask the audience

Every piece of communication has a specific audience in mind. Who, or what, is this for? A Starmer by-line in, say The Sun, has a clear target reader, much like a Mansion House speech or sit down on The One Show sofa. This one is more opaque.