Best of the Spectator Quite right!: how to stage a leadership coup
May 9, 2026
They map out the mechanics of mounting a Labour leadership coup and the tactical risks of pledges that please members but repel national voters. They weigh how promises might unsettle markets and the need for coherent policy. They debate whether Britain has had enough of experts and argue for parliamentary debate over blind deference to technocracy.
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Prepare Clear Policy Before Mounting A Coup
- Think hard about policy before launching a leadership bid and be ready to effect rapid coherent change if you win.
- Michael Gove warns winning with a compromised mandate mid-parliament makes implementing reforms very difficult.
Member Pledges Can Haunt National Strategy
- Tactical pledges to appease party members can become strategic mistakes that haunt the whole party later.
- Gove cites 2022 Tory housing-target promises by Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss as tactically smart but strategically harmful.
Choose Candour Over Constant Tinkering
- Be candid and address what the country needs rather than constantly tinkering to appease factions.
- Gove suggests a clear national message could have dynamic electoral effects compared with tweaking Starmerism.
