Keir Starmer Steps Up Engagement With Labour MPs
3 min read
Keir Starmer has sought to increase his face time with Labour MPs in a bid to tackle growing frustration with his leadership.
On Monday evening, the Prime Minister was seen talking to Labour backbenchers between House of Commons votes on the Employment Rights Bill. He also had dinner in parliament with a group of Labour MPs, and was mingling with backbenchers on the terrace beer garden alongside Health Secretary Wes Streeting, PoliticsHome understands.
Labour MPs present say the Prime Minister was particularly keen to speak to backbenchers elected for the first time last year.
Since winning power last year, Starmer has been accused by Labour MPs of not doing enough to engage with his large parliamentary party, with some backbenchers complaining that they have barely spoken to the Prime Minister since he entered Downing Street.
Backbench fury over Downing Street's handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal has put extra pressure on Starmer to reassure restless Labour MPs. Last week, it wasn't just backbenchers, but ministers too, complaining about Starmer's political operation, with one minister describing the Mandelson affair to PoliticsHome as "another shitshow".
Since then, Starmer has lost another key member of his team, with Paul Ovenden resigning as the PM's director of strategy over sexually explicit messages about veteran MP Diane Abbott. His departure is seen by insiders as a significant blow for Starmer. One government source told PoliticsHome: "Paul has been one of the best enablers of talent and a genuine force for good in the party. In government, he has been one of the few people cutting through the nonsense to make sure we deliver for voters."
The recent Downing Street tumult has prompted Labour MPs to cast doubt over Starmer taking Labour into the next general election.
On Tuesday, the Labour benches were sparsely populated for an emergency debate on the Mandelson affair secured by the Conservatives. Many Labour MPs declined the offer to speak in support of the government's handling of the affair, PoliticsHome understands.
“The mood amongst MPs that I’ve spoken to is very poor, and I’m not sure the PM’s appearance in the voting lobby put people at ease," said a Labour MP elected last year.
"As far as whether or not it’s working, I think the empty seats on the government benches during today’s emergency debate speak for themselves.”
Elsewhere on Monday night, Labour deputy leadership candidate Lucy Powell hosted an event for her supporters. The former Commons leader stressed that while the party must be united, she wanted to create a space where Labour MPs could raise issues with the government.
A LabourList poll of party members published on Monday put Powell 15 per cent ahead of Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
Powell's campaign is being chaired by Justin Madders, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough, who was understood to be very unhappy about being removed from the business department in Starmer's recent ministerial reshuffle.
He told Novara Media: “I haven’t been given a reason for my removal. You’ll have to ask those who made that decision. People will draw their own conclusions.”
Additional reporting from Zoë Crowther and Adam Payne.
