Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Let's turn back to the political turmoil in the UK now. Cabinet members have rallied to support the Prime Minister, staving off the possibility of a leadership challenge for now. But just how stable is Keir Starmer's leadership? Joining us now to discuss Labour MP Callum Anderson, who represents the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. Good morning, Callum.
Great to have you with us on Bloomberg Radio. You've posted on social media your message of support for the Prime Minister. Why?
Well, I believe he is the best person for the job. 18 months ago, the Labour Party, after 14 years in opposition, was elected to a five-year mandate to deliver change, change in our economy, change in our public services and change in the way that we do politics in this country. It's probably been a very difficult time.
week for the government, and it's been a turbulent 18 months, first 18 months in government. We have inherited an incredibly challenging economic and geopolitical picture, which means we haven't been able to deliver the change that people who live in my constituency want.
But the time for us now, and I think last night when the prime minister spoke to Labour MPs and peers, was really clear his determination, his renewed determination to lead from the front. And I think we owe it to him to support him in delivering on his mandate.
Good morning to you, Callum. So how big an expectation of change should we have on all kinds of fronts? Is this, you know, in terms of the makeup of the cabinet, the people in the room when decisions are taking place, the nature of appointments and how we add transparency to all that process? I mean, what kind of big change agenda are we talking about next?
Well, I will leave appointments to his No. 10 team to him, ditto the Cabinet and the Junior Ministerial positions. I think it's important that we give them space now over the coming weeks and months, given that we have a new parliamentary session, I anticipate, later in the spring, early summer, to deliver on that.
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Chapter 2: What challenges does Keir Starmer face as Prime Minister?
realise the full potential of the manifesto that we were elected on, we do need to integrate and include the views of the whole parliamentary Labour Party, all Labour MPs and peers. I don't think we want, you know, we don't want a situation where...
decisions regarding economic policy or social policy are you know excessively to a small tight group when you say all are you talking about the gender in the cabinet or are you talking about the left or right spectrum in the cabinet well what i would say you know there's around 400 members labour members of parliament there is a lot of experience a lot of uh expertise
From all intakes, obviously, I'm most familiar with my own. We've had people who run their own businesses, worked in finance, worked in all kinds of fields. And I think it's important that we leverage that expertise because we've got huge economic and social challenges before us.
But how do you do that without worrying the markets? We've seen the wobbles over the past few days when there were questions about whether or not Keir Starmer would lead the party going from here. If you want a broader share of opinions in policy development, how do you do that and not spook your former colleagues in the City of London?
Well, I don't believe that it is mutually exclusive, that we can both be inclusive in our policymaking and ensure that we are bringing the whole parliamentary party with us, but also not be entirely sticking to our fiscal rules and the concept of being exclusive. economically responsible. That's certainly something that's a non-negotiable from my personal perspective.
As you said, I worked for the best part of a decade, 10, 15 minutes away from the studio. So, I know absolutely that if we are to ensure that we have economic stability, something that we didn't have really for most of the last decade, that we need to stick to those principles of economic fiscal probity. That also means we need to recommit to our growth agenda.
So that we could, you know, but be that on infrastructure, be that on unlocking domestic pension capital. So we're really supporting those high growth industries. Yes. Or high growth companies in the industries of tomorrow where we know that the UK will have a comparative advantage.
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Chapter 3: Why does Callum Anderson support Keir Starmer's leadership?
So Callum, do we need to think about a new chancellor? I mean, on the one hand, she has stuck to the fiscal rules. On the other, candid conversations, it seems, between Wes Streeting and Peter Mandelson suggest that there's a lot of conversation about whether the top team, at number 10 and 11 has enough of a focus on the growth agenda?
Are we thinking about a new chancellor here, a new finance team?
Certainly not from my perspective. Rachel Reeves has my full support and I think has the support of the Parliamentary Labour Party and changing the chancellor certainly wouldn't be something that I would be considering. I haven't read all of the WhatsApp exchanges between Wes Streeting and Peter Manderson. But I would say is that it is important that we do have a growth strategy.
That's why I think it's really good that we're already advancing pension reform through the House of Commons. We have an industrial strategy. which is, as I say, trying to support those industries, be it digital, artificial intelligence, defence, financial services, that we know Britain has excelled at. And we also have a fringe infrastructure strategy.
In my neck of the woods, in Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, we have East West Rail set to open soon. There's Northern Powerhouse Rail. There's Sizewell when it comes to energy infrastructure. So there's all these, you know, for a growth strategy.
But I recognise that we need to go even further in the years ahead. And I'm sure you're going to be out on the doorsteps campaigning in the local elections as well as many of your colleagues will be too. How do you have those conversations with voters when people are going to mostly want to know who's going to be Prime Minister after the elections?
Well, I was knocking doors in my constituency on Sunday morning. And people aren't talking about leadership. That isn't forefront of their minds. It's not forefront of my mind and my colleagues' minds either. It is about the cost of living. It is about their NHS, their schools, and making sure that we have an economy that works for everyone.
And that's what I, as an individual Member of Parliament, but also my colleagues holding government positions are focusing on too.
Do you think when do you think we're going to have you heard when we're going to get further information about the appointment of Peter Mendelsohn and all of the background story that's yet to be published? But of course, the Metropolitan Police has said certain bits can't be or won't be for a while. Any update on the timing of all of that?
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