The US election interference row tells us this: Starmer’s political compass urgently needs resetting | Martin Kettle

While it's likely Labour did nothing illegal in assisting its politicos to volunteer for Harris, it's yet another issue that was easily avoidable

Gordon Brown famously brought his moral compass to the prime ministership. Boris Johnson, notoriously, did not. Under Keir Starmer, there is a moral compass in Downing Street once more. But something else has gone missing. Too often, Labour now seems to lack not a moral compass, but a fully functioning political one. It has never needed one more than it does today.

Recent history suggests that any government's political compass is a powerful embodiment of its survival instinct. The compass addresses the dangers, as well as the attractions, of a course of action. It recognises that the way an action will be portrayed is a reality as powerful as the intention behind it. It prioritises grip, speed and proactive flair, as well as discipline about priorities.

Martin Kettle is a Guardian columnist