How To Win An Election How Starmer Became The Passive Prime Minister
Mar 14, 2026
Gabriel Pogrund, investigative journalist and co-author of Get In, and Patrick Maguire, reporter and co-author, dig into Morgan McSweeney’s rise and fall and its impact on Keir Starmer. They talk about how McSweeney propelled Labour to power. They explore the idea of a 'passive premiership', the Scunthorpe decision, preparation failures, Mandelson ties, and whether crises could reshape leadership.
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Starmer's Passive Premiership
- Keir Starmer runs an unusually passive premiership, spending long stretches reading rather than making decisive political judgments.
- That passivity left key decisions undefined and people puzzled, described by Patrick Maguire as an "oddly passive premiership."
Scunthorpe Steel Moment Revealed Paralysis
- During the Scunthorpe steel crisis Starmer appeared overwhelmed and repeatedly asked others "what's the correct answer" instead of directing action.
- Gabriel Pogrund says this paralysis mattered because blast furnaces can't be restarted once cooled.
Category Error Between Politics And Governance
- The government suffered from a category error: political strategy and governing were treated as separable tasks rather than integrated responsibilities.
- Patrick Maguire argues Morgan McSweeney couldn't both transform the Labour Party and single-handedly supply governing political judgment.
