‘Keir Starmer Must Start Listening to His Labour Critics Rather Than Expelling Them’

Following the controversial suspension of four prominent Labour backbenchers last week, including welfare reform rebel-in-chief Rachael Maskell, three leading left-wing groups united to release a joint condemnation of the Government’s latest misstep.

Compass, Open Labour and Momentum joining together on this is a clear signal that the delicate broadchurch of our party is splitting even further, and so it should.

When we came into Government last year, it felt — at least briefly — like what I imagine 1997 must have been for those who remember it. There was elation, joy, and relief. But reality hit fast. Fourteen years of Conservative mismanagement had left the country’s foundations shattered. The ‘Change’ that brought us into power quickly evolved into a mission to rebuild our national infrastructure, restore the social contract, and deliver justice to communities ravaged by austerity, a mishandled pandemic, and years of cruel governance.

No one expected the damage of fourteen years to be undone in just one. And I truly believe the country is and should always be better off under Labour. But belief alone is no longer enough. The hope we instilled in voters is slipping away, and with it, our moral authority.

The breaking point was, of course, the ill-advised welfare reform bill, which would have held potentially devastating impacts on the lives of disabled people. As backbencher after backbencher spoke out against it, the inner failures of the Government were exposed for all to see, and the inevitable last-second U-turn proved embarrassing, if necessary.

It was the latest poorly-thought out scheme that had all the hallmarks of a typical OBR-demanded, Treasury-led decision to save money off the backs of disabled people’s dignity and lives. The Government’s U-Turn was right, and originally it seemed that would be the end of the matter, with the Timms-review hopefully ensuring disabled people’s voices are heard after they were deliberately silenced originally. 

And yet we now find ourselves with the rather sudden and out-the-blue suspension of four backbenchers – described by Government sources as being due to “persistent knobheadery”. That phrase alone exposes the wider rift between the Government and many of its backbenchers, and the contempt some at the top of the party have for those with whom they disagree.

Are we truly arguing, as a party, that not wanting to destroy the lives of disabled people means you shouldn’t be a Labour MP? Are we really calling Labour MPs who refuse to agree to Conservative-style welfare cuts “knobheads”? Indeed, the Government themselves have since admitted that they got this particular policy wrong. 

There’s a clear difference between constructive challenge and destructive rebellion. We must deal with those who act in bad faith.But as a Councillor, I go back to what I said in my first ever interview to become a candidate, back in time for the 2019 elections. I was asked about how I would handle a disagreement with a whipped decision, and my answer was clear: I would do everything I can to positively and privately engage with the leadership and whips to find a suitable compromise, but fundamentally I would do what I believed to be right for my residents. This was, at the time at least, the correct answer according to the panel, and I have since enjoyed 6 years as a proud Labour & Co-Operative Councillor in Macclesfield. 

Obviously, it goes without saying that action needs to be taken against serial rebels who do nothing but damage the Labour Party’s image, but personally I find it hard to argue that standing up against some of the right-leaning elements of this Government is the real issue. Criticising the ‘Island of Strangers’ speech that was delivered by the PM was, at the time, a source of frustration for those close to the leadership. Starmer himself later admitted that he made a grave error with those remarks, albeit during a difficult time for him personally for which he has my sympathy.

We know from all accounts that MPs fought desperately behind closed doors to get the welfare bill changed. Speaking to MPs whom I know, they’ve told me as much. But nothing happened, as the Government continued their pattern of refusing to engage. As is the case with Brian Leishman MP, most of the backbenchers have never so much as had a one-sentence conversation with the PM. To be blunt, the public crisis that arose from the welfare bill was one of the Government’s own making.

Being in Government is hard. Nobody could possibly expect anything different. Coming in after 14 years of the Conservatives destroying the country makes it much harder. But time and time again, the Government has got things wrong. And this is inevitably leading to the rise of Reform, who pose the greatest threat to democracy and minority rights in our nation’s modern history. We are handing the keys to Number 10 on a plate to them.

Meanwhile, we are seeing ourselves being outflanked on the left by both the Green Party, and a potential new hard-left party led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. Whilst my heart is with the Labour Party and neither of those parties appeal to me, there are many who will see them as being a ‘New Hope’. It will take a ‘Return of the Labour Left’ to stem the tide of rivals who are coming at us from every direction. Unfortunately, what may come first is the ‘Far-Right Strikes Back’.

Instead of punishing those who speak out against their missteps, the Government must start listening. Collaboration matters just as much as discipline. With 402 Labour MPs, we need unity, not uniformity. Collective responsibility must be mutual—not just top-down.

There have been so many positive things this Government has done of course, and we need to champion them. Public Transport reform and improving renters rights are just two of the brilliant initiatives that we are and have already been doing. But a key issue has been that we have already lost control of the narrative, and our communications aren’t cutting through (which is deeply frustrating for me as a PR professional!

We face potential extinction if we don’t change course. But it isn’t just a few quick fixes that will get us back on track, it’s a cultural and ideological shift.

That’s why I was proud to see the Soft Left and the Left coming together to stand up against the continued failures of our own government to get a grip on the issues plaguing our society. Momentum, Open Labour and Compass collectively make up a significant portion of the party, including most, if not all, of those who are totally ostracised by this echo-chamber government.

It is MPs like Cat Eccles and Rachael Maskell, commentators like Neal Lawson and Matthew Torbitt, and local leaders like Mayor’s Andy Burnham and Tracy Brabin who are offering the hope that the government is currently failing at. And through a unified left, the fight to shift the party towards a radical, transformative agenda is on. It is up to the Government whether they wish to stem the Reform wave, or allow the party to crumble into more years in the wilderness. 

On the back of our membership cards, it states “by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone”. It’s time that this Labour Government took heed of this, and embraces the pluralism that our Party is built on.