Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has admitted that Labour was not adequately prepared to govern when it took power in 2024. In a candid interview on the BBC's Political Thinking with Nick Robinson podcast, McSweeney said the party lacked a clear strategy for delivering rapid change and underestimated the volatility of the global landscape.
Lack of preparation for government
McSweeney, who masterminded Labour's landslide election victory in 2024, said the party had not held enough high-level discussions about the challenges of governing in a new era. “We are now in a very different era than when Labour was last in government, and I think we didn't have enough conversations at the top of the party about what that meant, how to prepare for it, what that meant for the state, how the state needed to be reformed,” he said. He added that the state was “out of shape” and unable to deliver for citizens.
McSweeney also acknowledged that Labour failed to anticipate the speed at which the public would judge the new government, particularly given widespread political disillusionment. “You have to deliver quite quickly for people for them to see the change quickly, and I think we didn't come in with enough of a theory about how we would do that,” he explained.
Personal reflections and departure from politics
The former aide, who resigned in February after controversy over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, said he wanted to speak publicly to “close a chapter” and move on. “I need to move on to a new chapter in my life, and to do that, I need to close the old one,” he said. McSweeney stated he had no immediate plans to return to politics, committing to stay out of the political sphere for at least the next few years.
He reflected on the discomfort of being in the public eye, saying his role had made him increasingly visible, which he had not intended. “I loved working for the Labour party and for a Labour government. It was an incredible privilege. I loved managing election campaigns, and that means that you don't have a public voice, and you should not be a visible character. That didn't work out well for me,” he said.
Criticism of early government tone
McSweeney identified key mistakes that contributed to Labour's rapid decline in popularity, including a negative tone set at the start of the administration. He argued that Labour should have been “way more optimistic when we started.” He also dismissed suggestions that Sue Gray, Starmer's former chief of staff in opposition, was solely responsible for the lack of preparation. “When I say we weren't prepared, I really do mean the Labour party more generally. I take my own responsibilities for that, rather than blaming one person,” he said.
Anecdotes about Donald Trump
During the podcast, McSweeney shared an unusual anecdote about a call between Starmer and US President Donald Trump. He said that Trump complained about wind turbines killing birds, leading to foxes becoming obese from eating the dead birds. “He went on to say that as the foxes ate so many birds and became lazy, they became fat, and as they became so fat, people no longer knew what kind of a creature they were,” McSweeney recalled. He confirmed that Trump was being humorous.
Support for Andy Burnham and No 10 North
McSweeney expressed optimism about a potential premiership for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and backed plans for a “No 10 North” in the region. “If at the top of government there are people who don't just have a desk somewhere outside London, but actually live their whole lives outside of London, I think that will be a good thing,” he said. He urged Burnham to push through the idea despite expected opposition.
