Sir Keir Starmer

REMEMBER the time after the Salisbury poisonings when Sir Gavin Williamson, then serving as the defence secretary, had Vladimir Putin trembling by saying he should… “go away and shut up”?

We now know, of course, he is capable of much more industrial language.

Anyhow, there was the same energy, of a tough guy not sounding that tough, from Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer during an LBC Radio interview at Imperial College this week when he insisted that Just Stop Oil and anybody fixing themselves to tarmac for climate change protests should: “Get up, go home.”

The mousy vibe was also reminiscent of Ed Miliband insisting during his turn as leader “hell yeah I’m tuff enough” when asked by Jeremy Paxman whether he could stand up to Putin.

Nevertheless, it was at least quite clear where Sir Keir stood on the disruptive demonstrations on our motorways, as he went on to tell the radio station that his message to those taking part was simple: “I’m opposed to what you are doing. It’s not the way to deal with the climate crisis.

“That’s why we’ve wanted longer sentences for those who are gluing themselves stuck on roads. I’m thinking of all the people who are trying to get to work.

“I’m afraid I would be really tough on this. I think they are totally wrong on this.”

Totally wrong?

During Extinction Rebellion’s headline-winning protests in April 2019, when the group brought traffic to a standstill in places like Oxford Circus, Sir Keir – not yet the leader of his party – appeared to have a far more conciliatory tone. He seemed at least to be aware back then that some demonstrations are about pushing a critical issue up the national agenda when politicians seem to be failing to listening to beeping red alarms.

“I don’t think anybody would not sympathise with the police and others who have had to deal with this,” he told our sister paper, the Camden New Journal back then.

“But there is a place for protest in a democratic society and the message is really important – and I’m glad that we are talking about climate change.

“I think when you get any protest or civil disobed­ience – but particularly protests like this – the first thing you have to ask yourself is what’s the message? This is a really important message.”

So, everyone, what’s the first thing we need to do again this week?

• ALSO on LBC this week, we learned how one of its reporters, Charlotte Lynch, had been handcuffed in the back of a van and then thrown in a police cell for simply covering the Just Stop Oil protests on the M25.

All journalists surely stand in solidarity with her. What an atrocious line of decision-making by Herts police.

A quick apology will not suffice. There must be firm guarantees that nothing like this will happen again.

The radio station is enjoying an astounding renaissance, not least by cracking social media with viral snippets of the shows, often with the sharpest views that will be shared in either support or rage.

This classic shockjockery, however, meant just as everybody was cheering the station in support of its wronged reporter, listeners got a reminder of what that sharp questioning can actually mean.

Jo Grady

Here was breakfast show host Nick Ferrari – once suggested as possible Conservative mayoral candidate – interrupting Dr Jo Grady, the leader of the UCU, at every possible point as she attempted to explain why university staff were ready for three days of industrial action later this month.

They’ve had a 25 per cent real terms pay cut over the past decade despite working at institutions with billions of pounds in their reserves. None of that appeared very interesting to the presenter who instead raised the case of a student who recently killed themselves amid a chaotic teaching schedule.

Would, Mr Ferrari pressed, a strike only add to the emotional trauma of struggling learners? In an increasingly fractious interview, Dr Grady described Mr Ferrari as acting in a contemptible manner.

Whether you sympathise with the striking staff or not, surely bringing up suicide is both below the belt and dangerous. Both students and lecturers are just trying to get by in grim times.