In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the Mirror of Erised shows everyone what it is they most desire. Margaret Beckett’s 35-page report into Labour’s surprise defeat in 2015 serves a similar function: every bit of the Labour party will have something it can cling to.
Supporters of Jeremy Corbyn will take heart from the fact that individual left-wing policies, like the mansion tax, were popular. But Corbyn-sceptics will note that it was voters that went for Tony Blair and David Cameron that failed to back the party in 2015, which they will take as an endorsement of a centrist approach. Ed Miliband’s diehard supporters – they do exist, believe it or not – will see the report as an endorsement of the Miliband era policy approach but will argue that a more convincing frontman would have sealed the deal.
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