Now Britain has made Rishi Sunak its latest ex-prime minister, it’s time to rethink the role. The antics of former PMs have helped send trust in politics to all-time lows. We’ve seen Tony Blair shilling for autocracies, David Cameron lobbying for Chinese interests and for the collapsed financial firm Greensill Capital, Boris Johnson meeting Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro on behalf of a hedge fund manager, and Liz Truss giving embarrassing but well paid speeches to rightwing American audiences.
The sight of the country’s best known politicians renting themselves out to dubious clients is the most vivid possible symbol of ruling class corruption. Keir Starmer could buy himself initial goodwill and do Britain a favour by setting limits to his own future role.
