Labour's Reset?

Did this weekend see weeks of briefings and negative news stories come to an end with a big restructure in Number 10? What does it mean for Labour? Three key takeaways from the Cavendish Government Relations team’s Emma Barnes and Chris Lee .??

1. The first 100 days have struggled to cut through the internal noise??

You’d be forgiven for forgetting, but the first seven days of a Labour in power depicted a government in a hurry. The establishment of Great British Energy, ending the Tories’ Rwanda plan, and a commitment to build 1.5 million new homes. Reversing the ban on on-shore wind and changes to planning regulations were there too. As were transformational plans to tackle long NHS waits and Ministers got going on a devolution plan to get more people back into work following long term ill health.??

But then, disruptive and headline-grabbing internal briefings wars got underway. The quick wins fading into the background and the plans ahead pushed down the media agenda. Alongside some tricky coverage over proposals to means test the Winter Fuel Allowance, the first 100 days were not plain sailing for Labour.??

The Prime Minister has been described as ‘ruthless’ by those who have noted his swift decision making when the chips are down. Think of the disastrous Hartlepool by-election result, or Beer-gate - he took quick, emphatic decisions to change the narrative. Just as he has done this weekend. Shaking up his top team so radically in just the first few weeks shows Starmer’s steel once more - stamping his authority on the situation and grabbing the bull by the horns.?

2. Hard politics is back in play?

Some have argued that having a former civil servant as chief of staff would mean that hard politics would always take a back seat to servicing the Whitehall machine, but is that what happened during those first 100 days???

Where Labour confidently over-achieved during the General Election was a ruthless driving of the political direction and narrative – through the media, digital and doorstep campaigns efforts. A grid like no other. Message discipline as sharp as a tack. But, arguably, a key problem with Labour’s somewhat tricky first 100 days has been the absence of that same thrusting political narrative – what are they doing, why are they doing it, and who are they doing it for.??

With a political strategist now firmly back at the helm, backed by two of the most experienced and dependable operators as his deputies, it’s hoped that Labour will regain its sense of direction and inject some of the je ne sais quoi from the election campaign into government. Alongside other moves that see a beefed-up strategic media team and taking the omnipotent ‘grid’ back under the purview of the No. 10 communications team, it’s certain that sharpening the narrative and getting positive drumbeat stories landing is a burning priority in the days ahead.??

3. Stability is needed, but can Labour calm the horses??

The next month will see the Government’s first global investment summit, the launch of the new industrial strategy and the long-awaited Autumn Budget. Labour MPs and businesses alike will hope that these set-piece events will provide stability and direction to the next phase of Labour’s first year in office, allowing Labour to get back to their primary focus of economic growth. Starmer’s new chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, is rightly lauded as one of the great political operators of his generation, but his quiet competence and confidence of getting the show back on the road, of which he has demonstrated time and again during his time with Labour, will be what is needed most for the next few weeks.??

Government Relations is a key part of what we do at Cavendish, so if you would like to hear more from the team, get in touch here.

Written by,

Emma Barnes | Associate Director