LONDON — Maurice Glasman, the influential peer behind “Blue Labour,” says Britain’s prime minister has just six months to turn around his government following a humiliating climb-down over its flagship welfare reforms this week.
Speaking to POLITICO’s Westminster Insider Interview podcast, Glasman cast doubt on whether Starmer would lead Labour into the next general election, as criticism over his leadership and that of the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, continues. “I don’t know about the next election,” he told host Anne McElvoy.
“There has to be a very significant change and we’re going to find out in the next six months whether he’s got it or not — and he’s got to make decisions over the summer about the Cabinet and the direction of policy.”
As the key thinker behind “Blue Labour,” which seeks to marry left-wing economics with social conservatism, Glasman’s views hold sway over an increasingly influential group of backbench Labour members of parliament and he has regular contact with Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff. He was the only Labour politician to attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year, and also has close connections to Trump’s Vice President JD Vance.
Glasman was highly critical of the government’s handling of its “half-baked” welfare bill.
“They’ve got to come through with a systematic plan for a transformation of the welfare system,” he said. “They have made a double blunder. Be careful what you wish for. This could be a lot more radical when [the Timms review into Personal Independence Payments assessments] comes back — because if the government don’t do this, they’ve got no chance of being a transformative government and the judgment of the electorate will be merciless. Credibility is already on the line.”
As the prime minister marks his first anniversary in office, Glasman praised Starmer’s handling of the war in Ukraine and his forging of a close partnership with Trump. But he warned that the furore over the welfare bill marked “a turning point” for the prime minister.
“Can he genuinely grasp what the new era is about?” Glasman asked. “He’s not an ideological fanatic like Blair, for example. Tony Blair was absolutely — still is — cosmically committed to globalization, no borders, EU …
“I sense that Keir Starmer is more of a tragic figure in that he’s got to turn against fundamental things about human rights law and the rules–based order that are very precious to him.”
‘Respect’ for Reeves
Glasman argued that Starmer now must adopt positions that are “deeply uncomfortable” for him and that “he’s quite a placid person and the volatility of the electorate, the rage in the electorate is something that he has to absorb.”
But the Labour peer said he was sympathetic to Rachel Reeves’ predicament, following the chancellor’s tearful appearance at prime minister’s questions this week. “Rachel’s another one who thought things would be one way and they’re turning out to be drastically different. I actually have respect for her,” Glasman said.
Another Downing Street figure in the firing line has been Starmer’s powerful chief of staff, whom Glasman said should be defended. “If Morgan McSweeney goes, that’s an absolute disaster for this government,” Glasman said, adding that the Starmer ally was instrumental to understanding the concerns of working class voters who are tempted by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Labour could learn a “huge amount” from Farage, Glasman told McElvoy, describing the Reform UK leader as the most significant politician of the last 20 years. “In terms of articulating a politics of rage, articulating a discontent concerning immigration, concerning national sovereignty, he’s been completely on the right path,” despite his views on the economy and the war in Ukraine. “The next election, unmistakably, will be Labour versus Reform.”
BBC heads ‘have got to roll’
Elsewhere in the interview, Glasman took aim at the BBC’s decision to broadcast a controversial Glastonbury Festival set in which the singer of punk act Bob Vylan led a chant of “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces].”
Glasman, a prominent Jewish intellectual in Labour who was vocally critical of the way Starmer’s Labour predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, handled accusations of antisemitism, said “heads have got to roll” at the state-funded British broadcaster, which has since apologized for failing to cut a live feed of the show.
Those heads should, Glasman said, include Director General Tim Davie “who had 24 hours to act and didn’t.” Davie has since announced that the corporation will act to “ensure proper accountability” for those found to be responsible for the broadcast and make immediate changes to its livestreaming of music events.
POLITICO spoke to Glasman again after Davie’s statement. Glasman said: “I stand by comments that he should go even more — I still think he should be sacked. He had 24 hours to act and he didn’t. Now his concept of actions is new procedures.”
Listen to the full Westminster Insider Interview podcast here.
‘Tragic figure’ Starmer has 6 months to make major changes, says Labour ally
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