Even when he glitters, Sir Keir Starmer still struggles to shine

Power, theyNHS say, has its own charisma. It hasn’t yet rubbed off on . When Sir Keir gave his speech at the Labour Party conference this week, several things quickly became clear. It was clear that he copes niftily with a glittery stage invasion. It was clear that he loves his family, the , football and probably apple pie. But most of all it was clear that, even covered in glitter, he is still a bit dull.What is not yet clear is whether this will matter. In one small sense, it already does—because Labour itself says it should. Labour has set itself up to be the party that supports “oracy”. Oratory, a close cousin, is a dark art but a powerful one. It is the skill that enables a speaker to spin the silken terms, electrify the unforgiving air and turn a mere audience into acolytes. It is particularly important for parliamentary politicians. It was oratory that empowered Nye Bevan, a legendary Labour figure; that helped , Sir Tony Blair, into office; and that enabled Michael Heseltine to, in perhaps the most nauseating phrase in British political history, “find the clitoris of the Conservative Party”.