Daily Politics from the New Statesman Is the Labour party having an ideological crisis?
Feb 11, 2026
They discuss the departure of a key Number 10 adviser and what it means for the prime minister's future. They explore tensions between blue Labour instincts and more centrist, Blairite approaches. They map debates over patriotism, immigration, economic direction and who shapes modern political narratives. They consider why parties reject powerful advisers without a clear mandate.
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McSweeney Built Starmer’s Engine
- Morgan McSweeney provided the organisational backbone for Keir Starmer's rise and shaped much of 'Starmerism'.
- That closeness risked obscuring Keir Starmer's own beliefs and left the premiership hollow on programmatic detail.
Blue Labour Meets Starmer's Background
- McSweeney speaks in a 'blue Labour' language: patriotic, tough on immigration, rooted in local campaigning.
- Keir Starmer shares some of those concerns but comes from a different background, producing a partial overlap rather than full alignment.
Coalition Preservation Over Bold Change
- McSweeney believed Labour couldn't lose any of its 2024 coalition and prioritized maintaining that coalition above bold policy shifts.
- That electoral calculus led to cautious politics rather than a distinctive program to change the country's fundamentals.
