In a dramatic turn of events, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has invoked the language of class struggle, signalling a significant leftward shift in his government's direction as he battles to save his leadership. The move comes in the wake of a severe political crisis triggered by the Mandelson scandal, which nearly toppled his administration earlier this week.
A Prime Minister Under Pressure
Following his brush with political oblivion, Sir Keir has openly embraced his humble origins, boasting proudly of leading what he describes as "the most working-class Cabinet in the history of this country." The price of the loyalty that kept him in power when he teetered on the brink has become starkly evident, with the leadership turmoil leaving the Prime Minister effectively a prisoner of Labour's so-called "soft Left" faction.
Policy Concessions and Left-Wing Demands
The immediate consequences of this political realignment are already materialising. The Prime Minister is expected to accelerate plans within days to grant voting rights to 16-year-olds, a key demand from Deputy Leader Angela Rayner, who ultimately backed Sir Keir during Monday's critical leadership showdown.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, once famously dubbed "Red Ed," has suggested that Labour is poised to embark on a new class war, revealing that the Prime Minister is obsessed with dismantling Britain's entrenched class system. Miliband acknowledged that the country has not changed "enough" for the better under the Labour government and declared that "the job for all of us is to work out how to be bolder."
Miliband confirmed that Labour MPs and ministers had "looked over the precipice" before deciding to support Sir Keir temporarily, describing Monday as a "moment of peril" when the party seriously considered ousting the Prime Minister over his controversial appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador.
A Clear Shift in Direction
The Energy Secretary insisted this must become "a moment of change where we have much greater clarity of purpose," revealing that class inequality represents Sir Keir's deepest frustration with contemporary Britain. "I tell you what angers Keir most about this country, it's class. It's the class divide... He exists to change that," Miliband asserted.
In comments that could potentially unsettle financial markets, Miliband outlined a series of left-wing policy priorities, including his controversial "clean power" plan, which critics blame for driving up energy bills. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are a government whose central purpose is to stand up for the powerless and not the powerful."
Growing List of Demands
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, finally offered his support to Sir Keir yesterday but accompanied it with an extensive list of demands. These include abolishing the House of Lords, constructing half a million new council houses, and granting local authorities enhanced powers to compulsorily purchase "non-decent" homes from the private sector.
Other prominent Labour figures have suggested that Sir Keir might now move more swiftly to unpick elements of Brexit, having been "unshackled" from his former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who resigned on Sunday over his involvement in the Mandelson scandal.
Conservative Criticism and Internal Labour Dynamics
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch seized on the turmoil, declaring that the turbulent events of the past week have left Sir Keir "in office but not in power." She added: "The Prime Minister does not even seem to know what he stands for, beyond the international human rights framework and more bureaucracy... the Labour psychodrama has left the country paralysed."
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake warned that the public would ultimately pay the price for the Prime Minister having "lost control of his own party." He told the Mail: "Keir Starmer's authority has been shot. From here on in, he'll have to cave in to every backbench rebellion just to cling on, leaving the country run by the loudest voices on Labour's hard Left."
Hollinrake continued: "Ed Miliband, Angela Rayner and their allies now hold the whip hand, and the price of keeping this weak Prime Minister in power will be a full-blown class war. Instead of focusing on getting Britain working again, Starmer is reduced to kowtowing to benefit-backing backbenchers and stitching together survival deals inside his own party."
Comfort with Left-Wing Agenda
Despite the criticism, several Labour insiders suggest Sir Keir will feel comfortable embracing a more left-wing agenda. Labour Party chairman Anna Turley declared that the real Sir Keir has been "unleashed" by recent events.
John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair in Number 10, argued that Labour had been neglecting its core vote, which he identified as "the white middle classes in cities" and ethnic minority voters. He urged the Prime Minister to "go back to his Left-wing instincts" and adopt a clearer position on closer relations with Europe.
Official Denials and Continued Rhetoric
Number 10 has officially denied that the Prime Minister is planning a new class war. However, in his first public comments since Monday's Labour meltdown, Sir Keir maintained his focus on systemic inequality, stating that millions of people are being "held back because of a system that doesn't work for them."
The Prime Minister reaffirmed: "I know what I'm fighting for and who I'm fighting for. I've got the most working-class Cabinet in the history of this country sitting round my Cabinet table and I'm really proud of that. But it is utter nonsense to suggest that everybody gets a fair chance in life, utter nonsense."
As the Labour government navigates this period of intense internal pressure and political recalibration, the direction of travel appears firmly set toward addressing class divisions and implementing more progressive policies, with Sir Keir Starmer positioning himself at the helm of this transformed political agenda.
