The Ship of Theseus paradox is perhaps best demonstrated by the 2000s pop band, Sugababes (see: hit, after hit, after hit). The three original members, Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy each eventually left the group to be replaced in turn by a new singer, until none of the founder members remained. Much like the theoretical ship debated by ancient philosophers, the question must be asked: was this still the same band?
A similar query hangs over Keir Starmer. The Labour leader is attempting to do the impossible: take his party from catastrophic defeat to Number 10 in the space of one parliament. That is why he is sometimes described as having to be his own Neil Kinnock, John Smith and Tony Blair rolled into one. It took 14 years and multiple leaders to turn Labour around from its 1983 nadir. Starmer looks like doing it in five.
