Keir Starmer says he wants to empower local communities. The Jamie Driscoll affair suggests otherwise | Simon Jenkins

Blocking the North of Tyne mayor from standing for Labour again shows how deep the party’s centralism runs

It’s what they do, not what they say. All opposition leaders are localists until it matters. Keir Starmer said in January he wanted to “take back control” for local communities. The Labour leader wants them to have more say over jobs, transport, energy, climate change, housing, culture, childcare and finance. He wants to liberate what is now recognised as the most centralised state in Europe...