Labour’s consultancy problem

Ethan Corne

When Keir Starmer entered Downing Street for the first time, after his thumping electoral victory, the Blairite victory celebrations were at full force. Spectators waving Union Jack flags lined the streets of Number 10, as the Prime Minister emerged from the bulletproof doors of his Audi A8. For many, this marked the end of an exhausting period within British politics, one tainted with excessive corruption, and years of economic incompetency.

Unfortunately, for Sir Keir, the honeymoon period did not last very long. Starmer faced his first major political test following his announcement that he would not lift the two-child benefit cap. The result was a breakdown in support from his own backbenchers. 7 Labour MPs dissented, including former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and former shadow secretary for education Rebecca Long-Bailey. Progressives nationwide viewed this as an outstanding shift in tone for a party that used to pride itself on being champions of the working class.

For all Keir Starmer boasted about being the ‘man with the plan’, this amounted to very little in the end. “Lower taxes for working people” quickly transformed into “lower taxes for working people, except when it’s not fiscally convenient”. Unsurprisingly, Starmer’s net approval rating has been at an all-time low, with YouGov polling him at -38% (although, as I write this, Starmer’s approval rating has increased following recent events at the Oval Office). These remain challenging times for the Starmer government. The economy is facing a nervous breakdown, with inflation on the rise. These days, Whitehall officials find themselves wondering, “Will things truly get better?”.

The barrier to growth lies in Starmer’s reluctance to pursue radical change. By “radical”, I don’t mean revolutionary change - absolutely not - but addressing certain realities that the Labour Party deems electorally unfit. For example, raising taxes on the wealthiest earners in society, and introducing a minimum wage that accounts for inflation. The majority of Labour MPs would agree with these policies. Starmer’s consultants on the other hand do not.

The main driver behind Starmer’s embrace of Third Way politics is Morgan McSweeney, an Irish political consultant who currently serves as Downing Street’s Chief of Staff. As the former director of the centre-left think tank Labour Together, McSweeney has been tasked with putting together a political identity for Starmer. The result of this was expressed in a pamphlet released to the Fabian Society, in which Starmer detailed his plan to change Britain for the better. The pamphlet was a murky collage consisting of antiquated sentiments from the Blair era.

While Starmer may see himself as Blair’s successor, things are not the way they were back then. Yes, both inherited economies recovering from years of Tory austerity. Yes, both faced concerns over public services and falling living standards. But, Blair took over during a time of steady growth and falling inflation. Starmer, on the other hand, entered office with high inflation, stagnation, and a deepening cost-of-living crisis. As economic conditions shift, so too must our approach - something that won’t happen unless the consultant class’s influence is massively curtailed.

Bernie Sanders, a politician who I hold the deepest admiration for, has long maintained the view that real change comes from those at the bottom, not the social elite. Sadly, the reality today is quite the opposite. Somehow, we are meant to believe that millionaire special advisors, living in lavish multi-story London townhouses, truly speak for the public. Nonsense.

There still is hope. Defeatism is not the right answer. 

Starmer was right about change for the better, however this can’t be at the expense of lower-income families. If Labour truly wants the working class to be at the forefront of change, they must commit to it, instead of teetering on the edge of political virtue-signalling, like a child who has forgotten their cue to come on stage in a school production.

From now on, Labour must build a strong grassroots movement that listens directly to the needs of working class families. Right now, working class people feel left out and isolated. That needs to change. Urgently.