Isn't this a recurring treachery from the Labour party, from selling out the general strike to ostracising Militant, to Blair's removal of clause 4? Leadership knows that the power interests will always support it in its role of gatekeeping against genuine leftist/revolutionary elements, hence the apparent confidence. I expect Starmer was reassured behind closed doors not to worry about alienating the membership or the unions because billionaires and the Israel lobby were prepared to pump money into the party to compensate for lost revenue from those sources. So I think you're right to say that 'People just do not behave like Starmer did, without at least a nod from the very top or having been ‘installed’' - or at least heavily steered by the gics.

cheers,
I