Labour is trying to dodge policy analysis by getting ‘influencers’ to endorse it
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It seems the Labour government is trying to avoid serious policy analysis by teaming up with ‘influencers’ to push its plans.
Here’s The Guardian:
“Next time you’re scrolling on TikTok or Instagram and that fitness guru or “mumfluencer” you follow pops up, they might be joined by an unexpected guest.
“As part of a UK government strategy to reach voters on social media – where more than half of people now get their news – ministers including Keir Starmer are making appearances on some of the most popular channels.
“Downing Street views the influencer ecosystem as a useful way to reach audiences who rarely engage with the traditional media. But to critics, the model is a way of avoiding serious scrutiny of controversial policy in favour of softball questions from interviewers with little grasp of the crunchy technical details.”
Guess which side I’m on?
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Inquiry call over child benefit crackdown that treated nearly half its cases as fraudsters
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Will the government accept calls for an urgent independent inquiry after thousands of families were wrongly stripped of child benefit due to flawed Home Office information?
Here’s The Guardian:
“Andrew Snowden, the Conservative MP for Fylde and the party’s assistant whip, said the government “must take immediate and transparent action” to address the failures of the anti-fraud benefits crackdown.
““Thousands of families have had essential child benefit payments wrongly suspended because of unreliable or incomplete data,” he said.
“Flawed Home Office travel data… claimed to show parents going on holidays and not returning.
“Snowden called for “a full, independent review of how this system was authorised, including how such unreliable travel data was used to make decisions on family benefits”. He said the findings must be published in full.”
I have already published my own analysis of how 23,500 families were wrongly stripped of child benefit, here.
An independent inquiry could happen – although it is not guaranteed…
To read the rest, head over to The Whip Line.
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Rayner says she won’t compete for the Labour leadership… yet
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Former Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has said she will not join any race to become the party’s leader – for the time being.
Here’s The Guardian:
“Allies of Angela Rayner say the former deputy prime minister will seek to renew her public profile in the coming months and would be likely to run in a future leadership contest.
“In her first major interview this weekend, Rayner condemned the “arrogant tittle-tattle” and Labour infighting dominating the past week. Rayner, often considered as a potential successor to Keir Starmer, declined to rule out running for the job or returning to frontline politics, saying she had “not gone away”.
“However, those close to Rayner, who had been seen as a frontrunner to succeed Starmer until her shock resignation over underpaid stamp duty, say she was significantly shaken by the impact on her family. They said that would be the key factor over whether she would run and that it was nonsense that she was plotting any imminent challenge.
“Speaking to the Daily Mirror in her constituency, Rayner criticised the briefing against Wes Streeting, the health secretary, accused by some allies of Starmer of plotting to challenge the prime minister.”
That’s what’s being said.
Let’s discuss what might actually happen.
Will Angela Rayner run? Not now. But later is a very real possibility.
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Everything in that Guardian piece is classic “positioning without committing”. It is what politicians do when they want to stay viable but cannot afford to launch a challenge.
“Declines to rule it out” is not neutral. When a senior figure genuinely has no interest, they rule it out clearly. Rayner didn’t – she chose ambiguity.
That is a message to MPs, unions and members: “I’m available if needed.”
The focus on family is not closing the door — it is softening the optics.
Saying she is shaken, or that her family would be the deciding factor, does two things:
- It humanises her in contrast to Starmer’s robotic image
- It allows her to say “I didn’t seek power; I answered the call” if she does run
It is a classic political move.
Rayner joining the Tribune Group is not accidental.
Tribune is soft-left, values-driven, relatively popular with the base and not publicly toxic like the left factions Starmer has crushed.
It is precisely the kind of factional home a future leadership contender chooses, in order to rebuild legitimacy.
And it positions her as:
- Not Corbynite
- Not Blairite
- A “unity figure” of the Labour soft left
That is the lane she would run in.
Her attack on briefing culture is coded messaging.
Her condemnation of “arrogant tittle-tattle” doesg more than criticise Westminster gossip:
It is implicitly criticising Starmer’s leadership style — the centralisation, the culture of anonymous hit jobs, the factional paranoia.
She is saying:
- “I am above this.”
- “I represent something cleaner, more grounded, more authentic.”
That is leadership pitch language.
The timing is extremely telling.
Rayner re-emerges during a leadership-speculation week and gives a major interview?
That’s no coincidence.
Politicians act when the moment is advantageous.
Rayner’s profile had dipped after her resignation.
This returns her to centre stage without making a leadership bid.
Her allies floated the key phrase: “If things kick off after the May elections…” and this is the biggest clue of all.
It means:
- She will not challenge Starmer this year.
- She would consider running if the election cycle goes badly.
As I’ve noted in my articles:
Labour’s polling position is unstable and sliding.
If Labour takes a hammering in the locals or the devolved elections, Starmer is fragile.
She has also been careful NOT to step on Wes Streeting
This is crucial. Streeting and Rayner have long been seen as potential rivals.
So the fact that:
- She defended him
- She refused to blame him
- She attacked “arrogant” briefers around Starmer
…suggests she is trying to appeal to his wing too.
That looks like coalition-building.
Will she run?
It seems to me that Rayner will only run for the leadership if…
- Starmer is weakened further, with
– collapsing polls
– a budget backlash
– continued internal chaos
– a rocky May election cycle - Streeting does not move first
– if he stays loyal publicly, she has space to move - Her family gives their blessing
– this genuinely matters to her, based on past interviews
She will not launch an immediate coup; she will wait, watch, and allow Starmer to bleed authority.
She wants to be the unity option after a crisis, not the cause of it.
So it is extremely unlikely that she will run within the next three months, and only moderately likely that she’ll run after the May 2026 elections, if Labour performs badly.
But it is almost certain that she will position herself as “the next leader after Starmer”, whenever he falls.
However we slice it, it seems Angela Rayner has not gone away — and that phrase was chosen with care.
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Labour toughens immigration plans further – in response to criticisms of being too tough
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Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has altered plans for a new immigration policy in response to claims that it is ‘too tough’ – by making it tougher still.
On November 14, the BBC told us:
“People granted asylum in the UK will only be allowed to stay in the country temporarily, in a major change of policy to be announced by the home secretary on Monday.
“Shabana Mahmood is expected to declare that the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, as she seeks to reduce asylum claims and small boat crossings.
“Under the plans, those granted asylum will be returned to their home country when it is deemed safe and their status will be regularly reviewed.
“Currently, refugee status in the UK lasts for five years, after which they can apply for indefinite leave to remain and have a route to citizenship.
“There are currently some temporary schemes for those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. This was initially for three years but extensions have been granted.
“In a social media video trailing her announcement, external, Mahmood said: “We will always be a country that gives sanctuary to people who are fleeing danger but we must restore order and control.””
It may not seem like much on the face of it, but there was a lot going on beneath the surface…
To read the rest, head over to The Whip Line.
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Rift in Labour as Lewis calls for Burnham to replace Starmer
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Clive Lewis has become the first Labour MP to break ranks and call for Keir Starmer to be replaced as party leader and prime minister – by Andy Burnham.
The right-wing newspapers have been having a lot of fun with this while other outlets (notably the BBC) have been silent, but it seems to be accurate. Here’s the Daily Express:
“The MP for Norwich South has previously called for Starmer to stand down, but has now gone further, endorsing Burnham.
“Speaking to Channel 4, Lewis said: “We need to do what the Prime Minister once said, which is put country before party. And frankly, party before personal ambition. I just don’t see how this can stagger on without any kind of resolution on the horizon.
““And I think the Labour Party, the Labour grandees, the men in grey suits now really, seriously think, how can we get Andy Burnham back in to this parliamentary Labour Party and let him step up and become the next Prime Minister? That’s my personal view. I know it won’t be shared by everyone, but I don’t see many other options.”
“As reported by the Daily Mail, Mr Burnham has not yet commented on the remarks which come less than two weeks before Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirms her Autumn Budget.”
I’m a supporter of Clive Lewis because he has supported me with donation money in the past; he strikes me as one of the few traditional Labour politicians left in the Labour Party.
His intervention is making waves because he has not simply said Starmer should resign (he has said that before, on several occasions).
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This time he has endorsed a specific successor – Andy Burnham, who is not even in the parliamentary Labour Party; said publicly that the situation cannot continue and Labour grandees should find a way to bring Burnham back into Westminster to become prime minister; and openly contradicted the leadership line that “Labour is united”.
That is a major escalation. In Westminster terms, it is more like a shot across the bow of the entire leadership structure than a casual comment.
It is hugely risky for him because the current Labour hierarchy behaves more like a Cult of Keir than a conventional political leadership team.
It is intensely centralised, intolerant of dissent, and quick to punish MPs who undermine the party line. The examples are clear:
- MPs have been suspended for far less direct criticism.
- Dissent is handled through anonymous briefings designed to isolate the dissenter.
- Loyalty to Starmer has been prioritised above political competence.
Under that system, Clive Lewis has put a target on his own back.
Possible consequences for him include:
- Isolation within the parliamentary party,
- Loss of any remaining committee influence,
- Quiet but deliberate moves to deselect him (the party machine has done this to many MPs already), and
- Being blamed for “adding to instability” if Labour’s current polling crisis worsens.
Lewis will know this — which suggests he calculated that the cost of staying quiet now is worse than the cost of speaking out.
So the question is: why did he decide now was the moment?
I can think of three key factors:
1. Labour’s collapse in the polls
If Labour really is hovering around fourth place in some polls, as the Express’s list of linked stories repeatedly insists, then MPs who want to survive may feel they have nothing to lose.
2. The Downing Street briefing war
The leadership is already wounded.
Anonymous briefings against cabinet members, denials from Number 10, accusations of disloyalty from Wes Streeting all make this a structurally weak moment.
3. Burnham’s name keeps surfacing anyway
For weeks, the press — particularly the tabloids — have been treating Burnham as a shadow challenger whether he wants that or not.
Lewis may simply have said out loud what others are thinking privately.
Was it a wise move?
From a career perspective: risky. Extremely risky.
But Lewis has never been one of the careerists. He has always been willing to take principled but costly positions: anti-war, anti-austerity, pro-democracy inside Labour.
If Starmer falls, Lewis will look like a truth-teller who moved early.
If Starmer doesn’t fall, Lewis may find:
- His position in the party is weakened
- He is vulnerable to internal discipline
- Constituency pressure increases as Labour HQ intervenes
but he may also calculate that Starmer cannot survive a polling rout, a budget crisis, and an internal briefing war all at once — and that this is simply getting ahead of the inevitable.
So, what happens next?
The most likely short-term consequences are as follows:
Firstly, the leadership will not respond openly to Lewis. Doing so would acknowledge the challenge.
Anonymous briefings against him will start almost immediately. Expect “senior Labour sources” to question his judgement, loyalty, or electoral relevance.
Other MPs will watch the reaction very closely. If the leadership looks weak or defensive, more may break ranks.
Burnham will stay silent. This is because silence is his only safe option for now. If he comments, it becomes a leadership bid. Silence keeps him in play without commitment.
The press will now frame this as an active leadership crisis. It already was — but now they have an on-the-record quote from a sitting MP endorsing a successor. That is dynamite in Westminster terms.
What can we conclude?
It is increasingly clear that Starmer’s leadership is being held together by fear and discipline rather than enthusiasm or loyalty.
When MPs start openly backing alternative prime ministers, it tells you Starmer’s grip is weakening.
Whether Lewis acted wisely depends on whether the dam bursts or holds.
Right now, it is starting to crack.
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