I believe the Labour Party run up to the win in 97 is different to this one. John Major's Government was a wet rag but somewhat competent compared to the Conservative Party today. Labour had a watered down, "tory-light" manifesto to sell to the population then and Blair played the media circus well and campaigned well. Starmer is very wooden, more comparable to John Major. Blair was full of sh1t but energetic and approachable. Starmer seems to me to be almost "pope-like" in his popemobile. He seems distant from the public in comparison, Blair was out canvassing and campaigning seemingly daily. But, there is still time. Labour in '97 initially wasn't a huge difference to what the Cons offered. One of their manifesto promises for example was to get 250000 under 25's off the dole and into work and another to fast track young offenders punishment to sentencing but welfare reforms such as the tax credits reform didn't happen until around 2000 if i remember, replacing the family credit and wasn't part of their original 1996 launch manifesto.
It could be Starmer is being cautious, it could also be he simply hasn't launched whatever strategy he has in mind for the up and coming election. I don't know, but i do think that Labour will beat the cons, easily and the majority will depend on whether Starmer up's his game. I think those hoping for a radical socialist left party full of associated policies are dreaming regardless of FPTP political system or not. Maybe one day, but not in this lifetime and in this country of people...
