I don’t agree that Labour leaders do best in elections when they demonstrate a strong vision for the country – in fact, recent elections suggest the opposite. Neil Kinnock and Jeremy Corbyn were clear about their radical policies, Harold Wilson and Tony Blair much less so. If Labour didn’t have an outright majority, I’d challenge the smaller parties to oppose any of those measures. If Thatcherism and Blairism are arguments for creating Starmerism, I suggest the Labour leader looks elsewhere for inspiration in defining the Labour party’s future direction and purpose. John ShanahanManchester• Join the conversation – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

Source: The Guardian September 11, 2020 15:56 UTC