As Winston Churchill said of parliamentary politics, Keir Starmer’s enemies lack the great advantage of incumbency: he can act, they can only talk. The prime minister is set to defy his critics in the Labour Party with a career-defining speech on Monday, aiming to save his premiership by focusing on “facing up to the big challenges for this country”. He will argue that “strength through fairness” is a core Labour argument, promising hope and urgency in the upcoming King’s Speech.
Policy has been surprisingly absent from recent speculation about the Labour leadership, which has centred on personalities and ideological differences. The debate often gets tangled with which party—the Greens or Reform UK—poses the greater threat, and whether the government should tack left or centre to win back voters lost since the last general election. Backbencher Catherine West has volunteered as a “stalking horse” but has yet to find the 81 MPs needed to launch a challenge, though Labour MPs believe she is closing in on that number.
Angela Rayner issued an ultimatum on Sunday, calling this Sir Keir’s “last chance” to change direction. She demanded more economic powers for regional mayors, a higher minimum wage, and unashamed promotion of new forms of public, community and cooperative ownership, as well as backing Andy Burnham’s return. However, it would take a spectacular leap of imagination to conclude that Labour is unpopular because it is not left-wing enough. Starmer must stay true to his centrist principles and the manifesto on which he was elected.
The prime minister has already moved to make clear he won’t be removed without a scrap. A “reset” speech on Monday, the King’s Speech on Wednesday, and further media attention should focus on what the government will “do” next. Sir Keir’s government lacks the kind of “narrative” that sustains a reforming administration through tough decisions. A programme of fresh legislation will highlight priorities, giving the party something more consequential to debate than Andy Burnham’s return to parliament.
So much for speeches; the prime minister and his ministers must also act. Too much discussion within Labour is about left or centre, when the simple truth is that it needs to demonstrate competence and “deliver”. Sir Keir would not be in such a mess if he had avoided blunders like cutting the winter fuel allowance or appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington. More to the point, he would not be fighting for his job if he had “smashed the gangs”, stopped the small boats, and closed the “asylum hotels”. The public would be less disenchanted if economic growth—his “number one priority”—had been achieved, along with reducing NHS waiting lists and rebuilding Britain’s defences.
