For much of the past decade, Sir Keir Starmer was presented as the solution to Britain’s political troubles. A Member of Parliament since 2015 and leader of the Labour party since 2020, following a distinguished legal career culminating as Director of Public Prosecutions, here at last – we were told – was a serious and competent man to restore order to public life. After the drama of Brexit, the turmoil of Boris, the flash-in-the-pan of Liz Truss and the dull inutility of Sunak, Starmer was meant to bring professionalism back to government. The adults would once again be in charge.