Laura Kuenssberg: Keir Starmer now assumes leadership, following impotence of opposition forces

60 Minutes AgoBy Laura Kuenssberg of @bbclaurak on Sunday with Laura KuenssbergGetty Images “Kier Starmer was once considered one of Britain’s fiercest opponents, leaving each Queen’s Speech feeling disgruntled as Conservative plans were unveiled by them year after year.” He bore the burden of an opposition leader: irrelevance.He officially took office as prime minister at lunchtime on Friday; yet for several months prior, British society has been quietly prepping him for Downing Street. One Whitehall source remarked, “Every hour of his first day, week and month have been carefully planned out by us”. What this victory holds won’t falter for lack of planning or preparation, either. Indeed, in advance of appointing their inaugural female chancellor, Treasury staff have apparently removed from her private bathroom the urinal that has long adorned it. Not exactly uninteresting fare, you might say (sorry!). Rachel Reeves is among the key members in Sir Keir’s team; others prominent figures include Wes Streeting and Bridget Phillipson who have all played major roles in getting ready to govern over recent months. Senior civil servants and their shadow ministers had long been conversing. Sir Keir, and some members of his team, attended Cobra meetings, security briefings and security briefings with regularity. A cabinet minister told me, now part of Sir Keir’s team: ‘We already have relationships with him (Permanent Secretary and senior officials).’ Sue Gray, who will become Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff from January, has been regularly in contact with Cabinet Secretary Sir Simon Case since that time. Once the headlines of Labour leader’s missions had been translated to policies, these plans were put together as implementation plans by government and made official by calling Ms Gray almost daily to ask him for guidance or make calls – sometimes there was even less-obvious help behind-the-scenes! At least two former Conservative ministers are aiding Labour with preparations, with at least one recent cabinet minister telling me it was “ridiculous we simply handed over a trillion pound budget without even the sort of transition an American president might experience.”The Plan for GovernmentDespite Labour’s overwhelming victory, their mission-based manifesto will likely remain intact; any radical moves by Donald Trump won’t supplant Sir Keir’s plans any time soon. One senior figure informed me, there are no secrets in politics. Another source emphasized the election result is an endorsement of PM May’s cautious approach; and not an expression of voter approval for more radical or bold measures. Anyone on the left who suggests Labour could have taken more radical approaches may face strong resistance due to how quickly things changed since 2016. Some members of his party could push for an immediate end to arms sales to Israel. Labor’s losses against opponents standing on pro-Gaza platforms has only compounded those calls. Other demands may include overt commitments to protect public services, long-term plans to eliminate two-child benefit caps and regular trade union access to Number 10. However, with his massive majority, Sir Keir is unlikely to consider altering any carefully laid plans he had carefully laid out for Prime Minister. Instead he has touted this result as proof of voters discontent with Tory Party policies as they want different type of leadership with less drama – though his gradual plans might mask significant shifts that Labour wants made within government. These could include expanding worker rights, overhauling of planning systems more rapidly and setting up of state energy companies. Short-term, new ministers may do everything possible to showcase how they plan to boost economic growth. Within weeks, companies could start writing cheques in favor of Britain and investments held up until now begin coming through; potentially new laws granting more authority to OBR are likely. One of the major decisions for any new chancellor will be when to convene an extensive review of public finances that involves making tough choices, known as spending review. Its deadline at year’s end must also be taken into consideration. Ms Reeves will have an important decision ahead of her: she must choose either to extend existing Conservative spending plans for another year to give herself time for longer-term planning, or proceed with her review by 2024. Be wary of drift The Labour party has long had the intention to deliver results, rather than simply to win elections, with Tony Blair becoming increasingly impatient at what he perceived to be slow progress. They view Tony’s frustrations with slow change as lessons they must heed from New Labour’s failure. One new minister recalls meeting the former PM to present their plans, at which point he lamented: “I regret so deeply that we didn’t move quickly on reform. “Keir has taken this incredibly seriously,” according to one minister. While most cabinet positions have already been appointed, many other MPs could receive government jobs as advisers or join the House of Lords as new members.” He includes former Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Vallance who has now been made Minister of State in charge of Science Innovation and Technology (DIST). Alan Milburn, former health secretary, will likely take on an advisory, yet non-ministerial, role within the Department of Health to help drive down waiting list waiting times. Other departments or appointments could reveal unexpected names; nonetheless, power and responsibility become immense upon receiving this appointment. One official noted the immense responsibility placed upon new prime ministers as soon as they take office: “After years of campaigning they arrive exhilarated to find themselves holding power – that momentous moment being when their cabinet members are appointed – such a memorable achievement!” “Now I would like to discuss the End of the World!’ Sir Keir seems eager to show the public that his government can actually work after years of visible political chaos. But he was advised to capitalize on early goodwill among his many new victorious before, eventually and however long that may take, the Parliamentary Labour Party begins exerting itself and challenging their mandates. A former Labour adviser advised him that they needed to act quickly “before they find out where all the loo’s are”. “His team has done its utmost to control the quality of candidates, and many loyalists will soon receive passes for collecting at the big palace.” Unfortunately, as former prime ministers have learned firsthand, even eager new recruits don’t remain so enthusiastic forever. Labour’s scale of victory would have seemed outlandish only recently. But their joy at winning doesn’t make some of the difficult realities of governance any easier to deal with. Reeves has repeatedly made statements and warnings in recent months about what she calls the “worst economic inheritance since World War Two”, or as she noted during her election count in Leeds “there isn’t huge amounts of money”. Waiting lists remain lengthy while prisons become overpopulated. Millions of families are struggling to make ends meet, which contributed to voters’ clear sense that nothing works during this election campaign. One senior Whitehall official told me it is worse on the inside than what can be seen from outside; “Everything really is worse on the inside than we think from looking on”. Labour ministerial teams have long discussed ways of making public opinion understand how dire things truly are, with Mr Streeting as Health Secretary immediately declaring: ‘From today, our policy in this department will be that NHS is broken’.” “Skeptics might also suggest Labour will aim to put all blame for current problems squarely on Tories’ shoulders, while their mission will focus on driving change through Parliament.” As for our new PM himself? He has not gone unnoticed by those around him as evidence of being willing to break old promises or discard old colleagues if needed. His supporters perceive it as an act of strength, as well as an important lesson he needed to learn: moving away from what one source described as nauseating pleas for party unity towards setting clear priorities such as winning elections. Unfortunately, I find that reaching Sir Keir’s beliefs remains no easier now than it did the first time we met up. Back then he was running for leadership of his party when the idea that moral socialism could get them back into power appeared to be more of an abstract dream than reality. Together with his team he coined the phrase: But it sounded more like something written for the Guardian than something the public could embrace. He told me he wanted to convince people that Labour and politicians could be used as forces of positive change and good for humanity. Four years later, you could still hear him repeat that line during interviews or speeches; you might still be seeking an ideological mantra; yet perhaps searching for such is missing the point entirely. He’s no factional politician who’s long been part of his trade; not the product of student union elections, decades-long party conferences or heated arguments over particular policies – something his backers see as his great advantage. According to one insider, one minister said “He will be the most normal PM we’ve had”. Another minister explained he doesn’t belong to any particular faction but simply to his party: he “belongs there”. Sir Keir’s ability to forge that direct connection between himself and the public seems ambitious and highly uncertain; at times he echoes Tony Blair, saying politics will return to serving people through what he terms national renewal. Just before polling day, an insider joked, ‘I never stop thinking about winning the next election.” An overwhelming victory would give Prime Minister Pauline Hanson two terms in office and would see her elected leader become Prime Minister again for another four-year term in government. But in 2024 it seems less certain. Now for Labour there is cause to celebrate; no longer must opposition be impotent nor pain be endured when losing an election cycle after another. As seen yesterday in Downing Street, after months of waiting and anticipation the new Prime Minister has finally been allowed a momentary smile in Downing Street – BBC InDepth provides our website and app users with top journalist analysis. Under our distinctive new brand, we will bring you fresh perspectives that challenge assumptions, as well as deep reporting on global issues to make sense of a complex world. Additionally, we’ll feature thought-provoking content from BBC Sounds and iPlayer too – so stay tuned! Our aim is small yet big; let us know your feedback by clicking below on “Submit Your Comment.”