Labour's first 100 days: Keir Starmer hoping reset at Number Ten will allow focus to return to policy

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
It hasn't been the first 100 days in office which Sir Keir Starmer and his colleagues would have chosen.

After the dramatic general election victory on July 4 - which turned a Tory advantage of 80 seats into a 174-seat Labour majority and ended 14 years of Conservative rule - the new government made a good start. Sir Keir made a visit to Edinburgh his first official engagement as prime minister and there were early announcements on ending the Rwanda policy, lifting the ban on onshore windfarms and the National Wealth Fund to boost infrastructure investment.

But there were also early problems, not only with policies - unhappiness among MPs over not scrapping the two-child benefit cap and introducing means-testing for the pensioners' winter fuel payments - but also with personnel and internal briefings against Sue Gray, who has now quit as Keir Starmer's chief of staff.

Sue Gray has quit as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff after briefings against her. Picture: PASue Gray has quit as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff after briefings against her. Picture: PA
Sue Gray has quit as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff after briefings against her. Picture: PA

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Gray, a former senior civil servant, was a top signing for Sir Keir when she was appointed ahead of the election. Although she did not have any background in political campaigning, her extensive inside knowledge and experience of how government works promised to be invaluable.

Fairly or unfairly, she was blamed for the failure to deal satisfactorily with the row over donations and freebies which has best the party for several weeks now. She was also accused of creating a “bottleneck” on decisions by blocking access for key officials to the prime minister and trying to cut the pay of more junior special advisers while she was paid more than Keir Starmer.

She is staying in government, but moving to a new role in charge of relations with the devolved nations and England’s growing network of elected mayors.

Her place as chief of staff has been taken by Morgan McSweeney, previously head of political strategy and described as Keir Starmer’s “most trusted aide”. It’s his allies who were supposedly behind the negative briefings and some are unhappy that the changes look like a reward for leaking and disloyalty.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

This Saturday, October 12, will mark Labour’s first 100 days in government after almost a decade and a half in opposition. The verdict from commentators will be mixed. But Keir Starmer will be hoping the reset of his Downing Street team will now allow the focus to be on what the government is trying to achieve for the country.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1873
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice