Labour’s first 100 days – Labour’s honeymoon period

Labour’s honeymoon period

It’s strange to think that only three weeks ago, the nation was waking up to the news of a Labour landslide. The reality of leading a Government comes fast, as the Labour Government saw this week when they faced the first backbench rebellion of this parliamentary session, and negotiated the tricky topics of public sector pay and the child benefit cap.

With only a week to go until summer recess, things have been moving quickly, not least with the presentation of the long-heralded GB Energy Bill to parliament yesterday – and with various commitments made around defence, as my colleague Will Gray covered yesterday.

Next week will be no different as we expect the summer sitting to be rounded off on Monday with the publication of the ‘dossier’ that the Treasury has been compiling on the UK’s economic performance. This could play a crucial role in those all-important OBR forecasts that will inform the Budget and Spending Review.

While many are heading off on holiday over the next few weeks, the Luther team is here to help during what is likely to be a hectic summer period.

Adam Thomas
Director and Head of Public Affairs

Immediate headaches

Labour faces a series of urgent challenges spanning every Government department. Pay disputes remain unresolved for 1.3 million public sector workers, prisons are reaching capacity, Thames Water is on the brink of collapse, universities could go under, and local authority finances are stretched to their limit. A series of reports released by the NAO this week lay bare the challenges the new Government urgently needs to solve, each of which has the potential to disrupt the grid Number 10 are clearly so keen to fill with its message on competent public administration, not to mention its focus on ‘change.’

However, on the other side of the Atlantic, an opportunity for Foreign Secretary David Lammy has arisen as Kamala Harris takes over as the Democrats’ Presidential nominee. Lammy is regarded as one of the most well-networked British politicians in DC, and one of the only ones to have formed a relationship with Harris’ team. The real headache with the US election, however, comes from the backbenches. Labour MPs, now part of the governing party, will need to exercise restraint, avoiding criticising Trump on social media, lest a too strongly worded Tweet prompts opprobrium from the unpredictable Republican candidate.

Familiar faces and unusual appointments

Labour has been putting the finishing touches to its front bench, appointing a series of Parliamentary Private Secretaries – an unpaid position and the first rung on the ministerial ladder – that are often seen as the ‘rising stars’ of the intake. The Government is clearly keen to utilise the professional backgrounds and expertise of its MPs, putting them into positions where they will already have a grip on their brief.

As was the case with ministerial positions, the Government is also unafraid to appoint new MPs to the role. Sally Jameson, the MP for Doncaster Central, is PPS at the Ministry of Justice and a former prison officer. Chris McDonald MP, formerly CEO of a research centre working on advanced materials for low carbon energy, one of two PPSs at DESNZ.

SpAds continue to take up position across Whitehall. With a few exceptions (including Paul Corrigan, discussed last week), they tend to be drawn from within the Labour Party machine or supportive think tanks – re-enforcing Number 10’s desire for unity of purpose across Government.

What has also been more unusual is that it looks like the Government is also making direct appointments to the civil service from the Labour ranks, with the appointment of Vincent Manancourt, who comes from Labour Together, to a senior civil service role working on AI policy in DSIT.

How to get involved

While the Government is facing many challenges, what’s clear is that it’s looking for solutions from industry, not complaints. The various reviews it has already initiated from both inside and outside of Whitehall, and those that have been promised, provide an opportunity for organisations to cut through the noise and ensure their voices are heard.

They’re not the only means through which organisations can, and should, engage with this new Government. The presentation of legislation announced in last week’s King’s Speech, including today’s GB Energy Bill, means a return for the Luther team to help inform the passage of legislation, whether it be through Bill Committees or directly with the relevant sponsoring Department.

This week’s rebellion on the two-child benefit cap illustrated Starmer’s approach to managing his backbenchers. However, with more than 400 Labour MPs in Parliament to satisfy, whether the tactic of withdrawing the whip is used on a regular basis remains to be seen. These backbenchers will have a vital role to play in championing causes and leading campaigns on industries’ behalf – we’ve been busy since the General Election thinking about how we can engage them as part of the campaigns we’re delivering.

How can we help you?

Luther Pendragon is one of the UK’s most highly-regarded independent communications consultancies. We help clients reach, inform and engage with policymakers and stakeholders in Government, Parliament, the devolved administrations, regulators, and beyond.

We can support you if your organisation is looking to shape the political and policymaking landscape.

 Contact us at publicaffairs@luther.co.uk to find out more about how we can help.