By Invitation | The state of Britain

Neil Kinnock on the post-war-like challenges facing Keir Starmer

A lack of social cohesion compared with 1945 makes them even more daunting, says the former Labour leader and Starmer confidant

Illustration: Dan Williams

I HAD CERTAINLY not reached political consciousness when the second world war ended. I was, after all, just three years old. But I do remember the period of reconstruction under a Labour government that brought the National Health Service, free secondary schooling, the introduction of meaningful welfare support in unemployment, sickness and old age, legal aid, millions of affordable new homes, public ownership of utilities and the rescue of the coal, steel and rail industries.

Explore more

From the July 27th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from By Invitation

Peter Sands of the Global Fund on the pandemic’s positive legacies

New vaccines got most of the attention but there’s a lot more to celebrate

Reihan Salam

Trumpism is becoming more pragmatic, argues Reihan Salam

But not all of the incoming president’s backers buy it


Time is not on Russia’s side, argues Finland’s foreign minister

Elina Valtonen calls for a lower oil-price cap and tougher measures against Russia’s shadow fleet


Oriana Skylar Mastro makes a case for paring America’s nukes

The political scientist explains why beefing up is bad China strategy

A new Iranian approach to regional security and prosperity, by M. Javad Zarif

Iran’s vice-president on how his country can make the region more secure and prosperous

The EU must be bolder and faster in enlarging, writes Nicu Popescu

A former foreign minister of Moldova on the means and the dividends of speedier accession