To see how someone lived, examine how they died. The final few weeks of Sir Keir Starmer’s strange political life(奇怪的政治生涯) say much about(很大程度上说明) the man.
要了解一个人的一生，就要看他是如何结束的。基尔·斯塔默爵士奇怪政治生涯的最后几周，极大地揭示了他这个人。
Outstanding affairs have been put in order. Sir Keir hammered out(艰难达成) an increase in defence spending(国防开支) of £15bn ($20bn) over four years. The bulk of it was paid for with cuts to capital-spending budgets(资本支出预算). Roads will go unbuilt. Energy projects will be canned. You could call it a “sticking-plaster” approach to public investment. Bad for business investment. Bad for living standards. Bad for growth. And, in the end, bad for the public finances as well. Those words may sound familiar. They are Sir Keir’s, when attacking the Conservatives in 2023 for doing what he has now done: raiding capital budgets to pay for spending elsewhere.(这些话正是基尔爵士在2023年攻击保守党时所说，指责对方做了他现在做的事：挪用资本预算支付其他开支。)
未完成的事务已处理妥当。基尔爵士敲定了一项为期四年、总额150亿英镑（200亿美元）的国防开支增加计划。大部分资金来源于削减资本支出预算。道路将不再修建，能源项目将被取消。你可以称之为公共投资的"创可贴"式做法。不利于商业投资，不利于生活水平，不利于经济增长，最终也不利于公共财政。这些话听起来可能耳熟。这正是基尔爵士本人在2023年攻击保守党时所说的话，指责对方做了他现在做的事：挪用资本预算来支付其他开支。
Others will have to deal with the inheritance(遗产（此处指烂摊子）). Even with the capital cuts, Sir Keir leaves behind(留下（负面影响）) about £5bn in unfunded spending(未拨款支出) for whoever is lucky enough to be Andy Burnham’s chancellor. When making way for someone in their own party, a prime minister should act as a sin-eater(罪孽吞噬者（一种历史角色）), choking down(强行咽下（指痛苦地接受）) the consequences of the errors made in government, allowing their successor the benefit of purity. When it comes to defence spending, Sir Keir is less sin-eating than sin-chewing-and-spitting-into-a-napkin.(但在国防开支问题上，基尔爵士与其说是罪孽吞噬者，不如说是罪孽咀嚼之后吐进餐巾里。)
其他人将不得不处理这个烂摊子。即使削减了资本支出，基尔爵士仍留下了约50亿英镑的未拨款支出，留给那位幸运成为安迪·伯纳姆财政大臣的人。在为同党人士让路时，首相应当充当罪孽吞噬者，咽下执政中犯下的错误后果，让继任者享有清白之身。但在国防开支问题上，基尔爵士与其说是罪孽吞噬者，不如说是罪孽咀嚼之后吐进餐巾里。
Don’t cry for me, post-Argentina
别为我哭泣，后阿根廷