Tebbit's dad and his bike was hardly sentimental though(!)
I agree that all this stuff about one's family is a bit cringeworthy but it is deemed necessary to play to the heart strings, as well as the purse strings.
As previously mentioned, Starmer has done ok: he has had an almost impossible job, what with the debacle of 2019, the inevitable disappointment and nastiness from the anti-semites and anti-common sense brigade when they realised he'd cheated them on the stuff about remaining true to some aspects of Corbynism (what, seriously,, did they expect?)
And the pandemic restrictions, which have left most people, as they do in a crisis, clinging to the powers that be. It's been much easier for Johson, given his position and given his style, to maintain a higher profile. Starmer will have to bide his time until the charlatan's medicine is proved to be fake.
But how many expected the achievements of Blair (without mentioning the B word admittedly) to be listed and cheered by a Labour conference audience as early as 2021. And to hear Starmer admit "If people think this government is rubbish, then what does that say about us?!" - could you begin to imagine that coming from his predecessor. It's only a start, but it IS a start.