In the US it is those suburbs - socially conservative, traditional, aspirational but moderates - which deserted Trump because he went too far & because of C19 whhttps://amp.economist.com/britain/2021/04/03/the-truth-behind-the-tories-northern-strongholds?__twitter_impression=true
Starmer must win them & he won't do this on tales of misery & oppression: those voters are proud of what they achieved.They are a success story. Modest but generally content as long as salary keeps coming in & the kids can hope to do at least as well if not better. It will turn
on the economy & jobs. And then perhaps a dislike or at least distrust - particularly from women- of Johnson if he goes too far. But then Starmer needs to be liked, to form an emotional relationship with those voters, to show he understands and LIKE them. And they need to trust
Labour on the economy. Which is why I personally believe that pitching Dodds, a clever & nice academic, against the sharp suited Sunak, son of 2 immigrants doctors & a success story, is a huge miscasting. Labour needs a tough lower-middle class success story as shadow Chancellor.
@wesstreeting brought up on a council estate, educated at Westminster City & winner of Ilford, would in my view be a far better bet. Who else can you think of?
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