In an article for The Mirror, Deputy Labour Leader Lucy Powell said getting the party’s message across to voters is made more difficult when ‘we hang out or dirty washing for all to see’
Labour must get behind Keir Starmer or risk gifting Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK new power bases at major elections in 2026, Lucy Powell has warned.
In an article for The Mirrorthe Deputy Leader said getting the party’s message across to voters is made more difficult when “we hang out or dirty washing for all to see”. Appealing for unity ahead of elections to the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments and councils across England in May, Ms Powell said: “We must all get behind Keir Starmerso we don’t gift our opponents – especially Reform – councils to run badly, or a power base in Wales or Scotland to run amok.
“We, as Labourowe it to the country to pull together, put the country first and defeat the politics of hate and division. To do that we have to be united ourselves.”
It follows a rocky few months for Mr Starmer with an extraordinary briefing war at the heart of government ahead of last month’s Budget. There are also whispers over the PM’s future in No10 among Labour MPs if the May elections prove to be a disaster for the party.
On Friday Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who was the target of anonymous briefings last month of attempting to oust the PM, which, was again forced to deny he was plotting. He categorically ruled out suggestions he is seeking a “joint ticket” leadership bid for Downing Street with ex-Deputy PM, Angela Rayner.
Ms Rayner, who was forced to quit Mr Starmer’s government in September over a stamp duty row on her seaside home, remains popular among Labour members and MPs. Last week it was reported his allies were attempting to make a pitch to Ms Rayner who would then be promised a Cabinet role if she backed the Health Secretary.
Appearing on an LBC call-in on Friday, Mr Streeting was asked: “Can you categorically rule out a leadership challenge with Angela Rayner – yes or no?” The top Labour minister laughed at the suggestion and replied: “Yes – yes is the short answer to that.”
But Mr Streeting said everyone in Cabinet now had a responsibility “to get the government’s message across”. He said: “Sometimes what we’re guilty of is coming on and listing a whole load of stuff we’ve done – now that’s a good thing because we’ve done loads of stuff since the election to deliver our manifesto.”
“The problem with big long shopping lists is you can’t always remember what’s on it and people kind of walk away thinking ‘I’ve kind of heard some stuff they are doing, but I can’t quite remember what it’s about’.
“We’ve got to be much better at putting an account of what the government is about and who it is for.”
In her article, Ms Powell also said Labour must stay focused on “championing” achievements, saying: “We won’t get the chance to do so again.” But she warned: “Cutting through the noise, and sharing our message is made all the harder when we hang out our dirty washing for all to see.”
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Author: mirrornews@mirror.co.uk (Ashley Cowburn)
Published on: 2025-12-13 02:30:00
Source: www.mirror.co.uk
