The business secretary, Peter Kyle, has accused Labour of failing to learn from the Conservatives’ habit of “changing the leader” whenever the government encountered trouble, as fresh infighting erupted over the prime minister’s top aide and his messages to Peter Mandelson.
Kyle, speaking at a lunch event in Parliament where it was put to him that the government “lacked a sense of leadership”, said: “I don’t think we’ve learned the lessons of the Tory Party in government, where every time there was a problem that was experienced with their government, there was only one solution, and that’s changing the leader at the top.”
“Business Secretary Peter Kyle warns Labour is repeating Tory mistakes by focusing on leadership change as Starmer aide row deepens.”
His comments come after almost a hundred Labour MPs signed a letter calling on Sir Keir Starmer to stand down or set a timetable to go, following Labour’s huge losses in last month’s elections in England, Wales and Scotland. Sir Keir has defied those calls and said he would fight any challenge. More than 100 Labour MPs signalled they wanted him to stay.
But the prime minister’s authority has also been undermined by the damaging saga over Lord Mandelson’s appointment as UK ambassador to the United States. Five ministers resigned after the elections, including the former health secretary, Wes Streeting, the most high-profile figure to quit.
Streeting said he would take part in any new leadership contest but would wait to see whether the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, wins the Makerfield by-election on 18 June and is able to stand. Burnham has said he wants to “change Labour, because Labour needs change”.
Kyle, a close friend of Streeting, said they spoke “often” but added: “If you put friendship ahead of what you believe is the interest of the country, that takes you to a very bad place.” He criticised those putting themselves forward as alternative leaders, saying “entitlement is not a qualification for leadership”.
Kyle also attacked the tendency to reward potential challengers with attention. “I think we can reward the wrong behaviour in politics … individual pe …” he said, before the quote was cut off in the source.
Meanwhile, a separate row has broken out over the prime minister’s closest aide after he sent consoling messages to Peter Mandelson following his sacking as US ambassador. The aide met female MPs to discuss the messages, according to Sky News. No further details were available from the source.
No candidates have launched a formal challenge against Sir Keir at this stage, despite intense speculation in Westminster. But with Kyle openly frustrated and the Mandelson affair still rumbling, the question of whether Labour has truly learned from the Tories’ revolving-door leadership remains unanswered.