Kemi Badenoch’s recent ridiculing of the prime minister over a supposed U-turn on digital ID plans (Keir Starmer denies change to digital ID plan is yet another U-turn, 14 January) is the latest example of a frustratingly narrow view of leadership. To the Conservative leader, adapting a policy is a sign of “no sense of direction”; to those of us who work in product management, it looks like necessary iteration of the process.
Of course, the accusation is bipartisan. When in opposition, the Labour party was just as quick to weaponise the U-turn label. We have created a political culture – fuelled by the media and a public that seemingly demands unwavering consistency – that treats flexibility as a character flaw.
