Could Starmer's ordinariness be his greatest asset? | James O'Brien - The Whole Show 

No his greatest asset is how ridiculous the Conservative Party have been

If you look at Starmers rise in his professional career he may not be a showman but it's a very impressive CV. It actually shows his commitment to serve and to climb the ranks. I'd rather have someone running the country who knows what he's doing, with fiscal experience of running his own public departments and hasn't turned his back on his roots. We've had the circus act of the tories for long enough,it's time for change.

Re; Kier Starmer - He isn't dull or unremarkable. He just hasn't the panache, the showmanship you've grown accustom! In other words he's an adult addressing the class clowns of politics.

James whilst speaking to Rachel let’s be fair Labour has a BIG task to turn this country around. Tories must be laughing tbh cos whoever gets elected they’ve left behind a disaster.

James is a wonderful voice of reason, one of a few in these bleak times of Tory client media. I haven't heard him say something I disagree with for a long long time. May he bless us with his empathetic and intellectual musings for many years to come.

When did we start expecting politicians to be entertainers? Blair, Fatso? When I was growing up, politicians were expected to be dull. We have had enough of 'characters'.

Tories can only call him boring. He’s not of course but Tories have no dirt on him. The British public has tons on Tories. Sunak with dodging tax etc etc etc not to mention lies lies lies

People should be voting for policies, not personalities. Sadly Starmer is lacking in both!

This was a really interesting listen, loved the caller who highlighted to swing in our history between charismatic and a steady hand on the tiller.

I am old Labour, Although Starmer is a safe pair of hands he seems to lack the fire of ex trade union members who had a commitment to help the working class. I think Angela Raynor has the background to make a great PM if Starmer does not workout. Success comes from a well paid workforce that creates the wealth for the country. that spreads up through all the society. The trickle down economy is a myth spread by the rich.

As horrible & outrageous as Tories have been Ordinary would be a fresh change of pace.

No government should not be able to use National Insurance as a tax income to the government. National Insurance is supposed to be for pensions and the NHS.

Imagine “ordinary” being newfangled and fresh feeling. What a time.

The Tories are running out of time for them all to qualify for the £15,000 ex pm pension.

I agree entirely. I for one have had enough of Flashmen and ineptness.

It's suicide, people are crying out for change. Voting for a middle of the road marvel is not an option for most.

Lets go with a maritime metaphor: who do you want steering the ship going forward? The ship hasnt been maintained over the past 14 years, approaching unseaworthiness, and we've tried Capt Pugwash (Johnson) and Capt Ahab (Truss)......time for a steady hand on the wheel.

Love all your contributiors especially Jennifer of Chiswick these young people are our future 👍

Keir Starmer, what a remarkable source of inspiration! Does his integrity and motivations extend beyond securing victory in the elections? I am positively brimming with excitement at the prospect of casting my vote for an individual solely on the basis of being less dreadful than the abominable, deceitful, and repugnant government we have had the misfortune of enduring. Voting feels like a futile exercise as faith in democracy and most institutions of the state has evaporated.

Thank you James . 3 years in a row . My dads Christmas gift is a book from you ..hes now 78 . So next year please do a large print

Thank you James for your astute observations on the British media's bias against Meghan and Harry.

Ordinary 😂 🤣 😂 why don't you just call him boring and be done with it.

Starmer was a barrister and director of prosecutions. He has awards and qualifications coming out of his ears. So yeah, just your average ordinary British man 🤔🤨

I started reading the Telegraph article about CEOs because I thought it was a spoof. How wrong I was...

I think you are trying to like him James - because you have no other choice.

H&M could have become as popular as Lady Di, but the green eyed monster didn't like it (most defo would be different if Meghan was blonde), so it used the media to take them down and exile them. However, in contrast, W&K have been elevated and every story on them in the media has a positive spin. Sadly, most people are susceptible to this messaging (because it feeds their own subtle biases) and they have fallen for it - hook, line and sinker.

Starmer ls staid and sensible, he draws on his past legal experience to avoid being goaded into revealing his manifesto plans. Starmer is the antidote the country needs to heal from 14 years of the Tory ineptitude.

Just comparing Kier Starmer with John Smith. What a loss.

James I do believe personally J Hunt has a lot of merit. However he’s chosen to join the disastrous Tory cabinet. He has chosen to do that so my view of him has now been severely shaken tbh

Apparently the key to Number 10 is hanging loosely awaiting the leader of the Labour Party to pick up. With his eyes wide open to that, Starmer has so far made a plethora of pledges, but it remains to be said that "putting rhetoric to action matters the most".

Great discussion James. Thankyou

All I want to know is where did x amount of billion pounds go? Written off? Whose pockets?

Your average man on the street. Just what we need to get the working classes back.

Have they changed the definition of "ordinary" ?

Staid is the descriptive word about Starmer

He's Conservative?

Man just said Jeremy Hunt isn't cut from the same cloth..... look at what he's done as a minister each time. Horrible man.

Anyone who thinks Kier Starmer is the solution to the nation's problems is beyond deluded.

His greatest asset is how unelectable the Tories are. Starmer isn't bringing much to the table.

His greatest asset is Keir is a grown up, people are sick of celebrity politicians like spaffer and want some kind of normality.

The supposed "dullness" label given to Kier Starmer is only made in relation to the tenure of Boris Johnson surely? And whilst we all now know & see how deeply lacking in suitability, ability, political beliefs, trustworthyness & intelligence Johnson truly was then this is what 'Charisma' & 'personality cult' is likely to deliver. For this reason I admire him a great deal. Starmer could easily play up his working class roots & how this gives him a better connection & insight into the 'average joe' working person.... but he doesn;t. He could use many things like this to boost his populist image, but he sticks to his political vision rather than any irrelivent personal trait that may play well with the public.

Sir Keith is just your average Joe. So many of us have been knighted and met the Queen. Regards from a Tom :)

Starmer is a Tory with a Labour title. He will change nothing. We need a real change and trustworthy leadership!

Proper government is about teamwork, not the existence of a mad cartoon at the head of it all.

Sensible, considered and grown-up are qualities that UK voters have become unused to.

It's not ordinariness. It's boring and anaemic - his personality.

Harry and Andrew run in different circles. Just look who is mentioned on the same breath as him in the allegations. People in the establishment, like piers , have an axe to grind with Meghan.

Who decides he's ordinary? Who writes and frames the articles and what we see of him? His biggest asset is having the mainstream media in his pocket (for some reason)..

You think it’s bad now Prepare for a woke starmagedon!

Maybe duplicitous for describing the leader of the Labour Party

As I recall, James' name for Andy W. was, "Andrew Windsor, the pedophiles friend." I kinda like that one.

Nice of you to buy the coffee and sandwich for that homeless guy at Euston bus station James.

Have no idea why LBC is stuffing Starmer down our throats.

Guarded. Not dull. Which isn't the best tactic when you're aiming to get the public to vote for you. Dull is fine but he's so guarded it's almost cagey. At some point he is going to have to let the general public in on his plans.

Mr Starmer has the advantage of being so dull that his people can just get on with quietly governing the country without all the irrelevant distractions.

Starmer is about as ordinary as is Dominic Cummings!

A reliable Statesman a patriot to the country and contains no bull

Brexit ❤ Daniel Boland brought me here

That tittle is a backhanded compliment if I ever seen one. 😆

Reserved

"salubrious"? Who cares how healthy his clients were.

He's not as flashy but I dont want flashy, I want honest. I think he has got better over the year, and hes tough to disagree or argue with in the house. I like him, and I hope he'll be a strong leader.

Starmer flip flops. not that he has no opinions more they change from week to week

Beige.

Wow Jason The media has handled Harry and Meghan in fantastic fashion other than Danny Baker. What a cap doffer. Let's blame everything on Danny Baker's horrible tweet and give all of Fleet Street a pass. Clearly he hasn't come across Piers Morgan's disgusting character assisination of Meghan. JOB certainly saw through that geezer.

Starmer is an old style Conservative in everything but name. We will see little to no change if he becomes PM. He will maintain the majority of Tory policies.

I like Sir Keir Starmer...staid, boring and undramatic. Same with Angela Rayner who I just saw on the Rest is Politics podcast. I will be voting Labour wholeheartedly, let's see what they bring

Why is Farage so 'terrible' i want to know. Like Enoch i suppose by by - passing all the logic and end situations

he looks ok to me after what the tories have turned out.

James, sometimes I could kiss your mind.

Call o'Brien aka keir starmer spokesman .when will he be critical of starmer

says one thing, does something else.

Something something Brexit

Ive not really seen the doctor about it and i probably really should but i think i might have long COVID. I was unlucky enough to catch it 6 times in the pandemic with the first time being the worst and leaving me bed ridden. Ever since i keep having these random bouts of extreme fatigue almost to the point where i could fall asleep standing up. Not to mention i keep getting randomly short of breath, severe brain fog and aches. It is quite debilitating. But is there even a point in me seeing the doctor for it? Because from what ive heard theres absolutely nothing they can do about.

At least thanks to Brexit Aldi sells "wonky" fruit and veg; straight bananas & bent carrots . . . . . . Whoopee!

Until the manifesto is released we will see nothing .i think he is playing his card close ... I think we will see a surprisingly left wing ( alas centrist in the face of oligarchy) . but its so bad when you look back at Major or Blair..and think .. what went wrong

A Man of integrity honesty accountability professionalism unlike Sunak i think Kier Stamer is a deasent man, We've had enough of populist clown's i believe he truly wants to serve our country and try and change it for the better i think he's quite funny i saw you interview him i came across as quite witty... tongue and cheek..i believe he's trustworthy.. What is charisma?? The Tories will with their client media with try and potry Kier Stamer as dull..

"Could Starmer's ordinariness be his greatest asset?" Pre-election, probably yes. Post election, no, probably not. John Major was pretty ordinary in some ways and the media and press crucified him for it. I highly suspect that Starmer's ordinariness in the role of Prime Minister will be his hindrance as his responses will appear, or more accurately, be made to appear limp, weak and lacking in leadership. Theresa May too suffered from this and even though she is a Tory, had a pretty ordinary background and upbringing. The public love ordinariness in backbenchers and opposition leaders, but quite contrarily, loathe it when they are the head of government.

In short... no

He's grey.

TORY STARMER

This site/radio is so pathetically pro-Labour.

'...hard working families...' '..our NHS..' yadda yadda. I do wish politicians of all stripes would stop spouting these patronising lines. Labour politicians like Ms. Reeves, need to stop reiterating this Tory rhetoric if they want credibility.

That is nauseating, Starmer cares about nothing but his own career. He left the innocent residents of gaza to their deaths without uttering a word. His ordinariness is another way of saying he is a wooden, insincere, and aloof man without any core principles.

Something something something, Brexit 😆

If he didn’t open his mouth he would be a better candidate. Beth Rigby tore him a new one and she wasn’t even trying. Wait until she interviews Angela Rayner.🫣

Love someone that just get on with the job but also knows how to move for now its an art to move between generations that me just saying I don't have it. Loyalty when you understand the full meaning

Is it unpatriotic to prefer an English prime minister. Rather than someone who is not .

Sir Kier…millionaire Westminster bubble Lawyer, London based ..ordinary ? Get real.

Starmer = insipid?

Stammer : “No apartheid in Israel” 😮.

Give me intelligent over comical any time , what's the matter with folk 🤔

Still shilling for this empty suit 🥱

James hope you and your family are well. Boris Johnson has put the uk forward for the New World order and Who. I can't imagine what future we will have along with future generations. The uk should have put forward to stop the war in gaza and asked for peace talks

1030 caller nailed it tbh. Sir Keir Starmer has standards This is a lightbulb moment. He’s decent he has standards we ALL want in a leader. Perhaps too he has MPs who have the same standards and values too.

Sunak will give a detailed list of lies.

My guess is never. Speak to truth about all parties no exception . But obrien zipped

Wooden blue clone

Better than dreadful?

What a dull conversation