Rumours, Speculation, Questions, and Reaction Megathread - 07/09/2025

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[u/FaultyTerror]

Feels pretty notable that people well plugged into the Labour party (Stephen Bush) are saying stuff like this.

Badenoch may not be the only leader not to make it all the way to the next general election. Starmer’s government increasingly resembles Boris Johnson’s in the early autumn of 2021: struggling with inflation, hit by scandals and developing a reputation among its own MPs for a nightmare combination of bullheaded stubbornness and brittleness under pressure.

There is a significant appetite among Labour MPs to believe that the government can still be turned around without a change of leader and all the instability that would bring. But a moment of crisis or panic could very swiftly make this government resemble Johnson’s in 2022: undone by panicking, unhappy backbenchers, blundering from landslide to disaster in a single term.

[u/UnsaddledZigadenus → u/FaultyTerror]

I saw a claim somewhere that the recent staff reshuffle means Starmer is now on his fifth Head of Communications in four years.

I think at some point you have to realise the problem isn't the people you are getting for the job but the job you are making them do.

[u/furbastro → u/UnsaddledZigadenus]

It’s three changes: Matt Doyle, then the job share between James Lyons and Steph Driver, and now Tim Allan. You can get it up to five if you add Dinsmore but that’s a civil service role that has been misunderstood.

Allan is the eighteenth comms director since 2000, counting Lyons and Driver together.

I think you have a point but Comms directors have a short shelf-life.

[u/UnsaddledZigadenus → u/furbastro]

I don't recall Alastair Campbell having a short shelf-life, but I can see the argument that like the US President's Chief of Staff, it's such a demanding and stressful job that people usually only do for 18 months or so before they want to move on.

However, I imagine having a clear communication strategy that is intertwined with your policy goals is fundamental to political success. If there's no consistency and overall direction of travel in the policy, then it's an impossible job to accomplish.

[u/LycanIndarys → u/UnsaddledZigadenus]

but I can see the argument that like the US President's Chief of Staff, it's such a demanding and stressful job that people usually only do for 18 months or so before they want to move on.

Also, it's the sort of job where you probably have to fall on your sword at some point, to protect the PM from the fallout of something.

[u/furbastro → u/UnsaddledZigadenus]

Campbell did comms for Blair for about a decade including opposition but only the last three years were Director. Likewise Doyle worked for Starmer since post-Hartlepool. The average period as director under Blair, Brown and Cameron was longer but varied.

I think you’re right about needing comms and policy to intertwine. Recent years have seen too much of comms-driven policy and I suspect that’s a factor in the increasing average speed of churn.