Keir Starmer’s road trip: tour towns and win back Motorway Man

Sir Keir Starmer will embark on a “towns tour” in the new year as he looks to spend more time on the road selling his party’s plans for power to the electorate.

The Labour leader will begin the general election year with a series of “mini-campaigns” to promote his five missions for government.

Each campaign will put Starmer and his frontbenchers on “multi-day” visits to different regions, where he will seek to shun big speeches in favour of public meetings and Q&A sessions with residents.

He hopes to connect more directly with the types of voter that Labour needs to win back — or win over — if it is to secure a Commons majority.

Towns such Grimsby, part of the red wall of seats