A cabinet minister has said she “can understand people’s frustration” with the Labour
government since it came into power as the party ended the year slumped in the polls with MPs jittery after a turbulent first few months.
Lucy Powell, the Commons leader, said she shared public impatience for change and was “disappointed” over the state of the economy but the party’s inheritance meant it was “a bit like turning around a huge oil tanker”.
Labour has had a challenging first six months in power, with difficult political decisions to take on public spending and early internal power struggles in Downing Street. But it has also had a series of unforced errors including the decision to cut winter fuel allowance.
The Bank of England expects zero growth in the final three months of the year, while the decision to raise employers’ national insurance contributions has added to a collapse in business confidence that some experts believe will cost jobs and lead to lower wage increases.
Some backbenchers have questioned whether No 10 has had a sufficient grip on the situation, with one senior MP describing a “sense of drift” in government. Others feel the prime minister has not done enough to “tell a story” about what he plans to do with power.
Cabinet ministers and senior Labour figures have even talked privately about the prospect of Keir Starmer not taking them into the next general election, amid concerns that he may eventually be proven to lack the political acumen required.
“We can blame the comms or the strategy all we want, but ultimately the tone is set from the top,” one minister told the Guardian. “It’s still early days, but the question getting louder is whether Keir can turn it around.”
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However, other senior Labour figures defended the prime minister. “We always knew it was going to be tough. But don’t forget that Keir has been underestimated many times before – and he’s just won a huge election victory. He needs a break, yes, but he’s determined to deliver”.
In an interview with BBC Breakfast on Sunday, Powell said: “We knew [governing] was going to be difficult. I think the voters and the public knew it was going to be difficult too, that’s why they voted for change because we knew the country was in such a bad situation.
“I can understand people’s frustration. It’s a frustration that I share because we want to make things better, faster for people. It’s a bit like turning around a huge oil tanker. The situation has been worse, especially with the economy, than we saw. So we have had to take some difficult decisions.”
On Sky News she acknowledged the economic performance was “disappointing”, adding: “Of course, we want to see these things happening faster. We want to see more growth in the economy, and we want to see that faster, really, so that it can be felt by ordinary people around the country.”
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Asked why Labour’s poll ratings had plummeted, Powell told GB News: “We always knew it was going to be difficult, and it’s proven to be the case … hopefully people will judge us in four years’ time on whether they feel better off and whether their public services have improved.”
Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, told the Guardian on Friday that she would not “gaslight” working people over her plans to turn around the economy – and that it was impossible to reverse years of poor performance under the Tories in just six months.
“Has it been difficult? Yes. Is there more to do? Absolutely. Next year is really going to be about delivering for working people. This year a lot of it has been about fixing the foundations, bringing the stability back,” she said.
In an opinion piece in the Sunday Times, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “It will take time. We’ve been in power for less than six months. A lot done, a hell of a lot more to do. But as I look to 2025, I can see the road to recovery.”
