Starmer allies gripped by fear of Labour complacency amid byelection triumphs

Despite victory in two Conservative safe seats, a Labour government is not a foregone conclusion, say party hawks

For the past few months, with Labour enjoying a stubbornly large double-digit lead in the polls, close allies of Keir Starmer remained obsessed with the notion that complacency will slip into the mindsets of MPs, advisers and activists.

In a breathless week that saw Labour veer from having to abandon one byelection before scooping previously safe Tory seats in two others, the obsessives were given three opportunities to drive their point home.