I'm absolutely fine with the rough and tumble of politics.

The words of Keir Starmer, “I'm absolutely fine with the rough and tumble of politics,” speak with the steadiness of one prepared for storms. He reminds us that politics is no gentle path of reasoned debate alone, but a battlefield of words, ambitions, and rivalries. To survive in such a realm requires not only intellect but resilience, the courage to endure blows without faltering, and the discipline to rise again after every fall.

The ancients understood this truth well. In the Assembly of Athens, voices clashed like swords, and reputations could be destroyed in a single moment of scorn. In the Roman Senate, politics was not a polite conversation but a ceaseless struggle, where Cicero’s eloquence could save the Republic one day and cost him his life the next. To endure the rough and tumble was the mark of a true statesman, for it revealed not fragility but strength of spirit.

History gives us many examples. Consider Winston Churchill, who endured countless defeats, betrayals, and ridicule before rising to lead Britain in its darkest hour. He was often mocked, cast aside, and doubted, yet he accepted the bruising nature of public life as the price of service. It was his ability to withstand the harsh blows of politics that forged him into the leader capable of rallying a nation against tyranny.

Starmer’s words also serve as a reminder that struggle is not failure, but the natural condition of the political calling. Those who shrink from conflict cannot shape the destiny of nations. The rough and tumble may batter the body and weary the mind, but it sharpens conviction, strengthens resolve, and reveals whether a leader’s purpose is rooted in ambition or in service.

Let the generations remember: the arena of politics is no place for the faint of heart. To enter it is to accept wounds, to endure struggle, and to fight not for personal comfort but for the good of the people. He who, like Starmer, embraces the rough and tumble with composure proves that he is prepared not only to speak of leadership but to endure its trials. For only those who withstand the storm are fit to guide others through it.