We've got a plan: Louise Haigh on her journey back to power
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What is the significance of Louise Haigh’s return to power and the Burnham era?
Hello, the Starmer era is coming to an end and the Burnham era is about to begin. This edition of political thinking is being recorded on the Radio 4 Fringe stage at the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival in the great city of Sheffield. My guest. Louise Haig played a perhaps the crucial role in the man they call the King of the North, becoming the next leader of the country as a whole. She looks set to play a vital role at the center of his new number 10 operation. What's more, she is a Sheffield lass, born here, schooled here, now the MP for Sheffield Healy, and I think her mum and dad might be in the audience too. Now, when Labour came to power, Keir Starmer made Louise Haig transport secretary and the youngest female Secretary of State this country had ever seen.
She passed the law that will bring the railways into public ownership. But within five months. She was gone. She'd resigned when it emerged that she'd admitted to a fraud offence when she was in her twenties. Many believe that Red Lou, as she was known, not just for the colour of her hair, but for her politics as well, had been punished for being the left's voice in the cabinet. And recently the news statesman. The magazine credited her for the sheer guts of her high stakes maneuvering. To take down the Prime Minister Louise Haig, welcome to political thinking.
Louise, I want to start by just saying how are you feeling? 'Cause you're on the brink not just of a new era for the Labour Party, for the country, but for you.
Yeah, I'd say my my baseline every day is frazzled and then we uh and then we sort of get to d varying levels of stress every day depending on how things uh pan out. But it's obviously right now wonderful to be here in Sheffield with you. I always appreciate getting out of Westminster and it's a particular pressure cooker at the moment. Everyone is very excitable and very anxious for what's to come. But most of all excited I think. It is a huge opportunity to turn things around for this Labour government.
Anxious and excited, what was striking in Andy Burnham's first big speech after it became clear he was going to be Prime Minister was that phrase hope in every heart. Now the cynics can say what the hell does that mean? But do you think that's what's been missing? A bit of hope, a bit of optimism?
A hundred percent. And I think when you look back over the last couple of years, the government never really recovered from The mood music and our positioning as soon as we won the general election from winter fuel to the twenty two billion black hole and the things can only get worse speech.
Um Which Morgan McSweeney, when he did this podcast only a week ago, admitted it was a mistake. They were just too gloomy. Did you chat on the radio and say I was saying that at the time?
I mean it wa We were elected on a mandate for change and you know, everyone was hopeful when we came in. There was excitement and ambition for a changed country and the government immediately turned round and said that wasn't possible. And as I say, we've just never been able to recover from that. No matter how many resets Keir Starmer and the rest of the government attempted, it could never get itself out out of that. So that's why where Andy positions himself now. and how he connects to the country because as much as we might think we know and have heard Orlandy Stick to death, a lot of the country still doesn't necessarily know about him and they need to learn. They've not had the benefit of a general election campaign in which he's been out on the tele every day with his whole team around him.
So he's got a big obstacle to overcome to become known to the country as a whole. But it's a huge opportunity as well. Because he can tell that story of hope and optimism that has been missing.
The other thing that McSweeney admitted was that he, Keir Starmer, the government, hadn't really got a plan when he won that election, and that not enough had been done to think it through. Have you got a plan? As Andy Burns.
Certainly has. He is the surest politician I've ever come across of what he thinks and what he knows needs to be done.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the significance of Louise Haigh’s return to power and the Burnham era?
0:00–6:12
2
How does Andy Burnham’s “hope in every heart” speech shape the new Labour agenda?
6:12–11:01
3
What is the detailed plan Andy Burnham and Louise Haigh have been developing for government?
11:01–16:17
4
What quirky events (exotic bird auction, football in the Commons) reveal about the campaign culture?
16:17–20:17
5
How did Louise Haigh’s resignation and past conviction affect her political trajectory?
20:17–25:47
6
Why is the welfare bill, especially PIP, a central challenge for the upcoming government?
25:47–31:06
7
How might the Treasury be re‑shaped and what is the “politics of place” vision?
31:06–36:51
8
What legacy projects (Snooker World Championship, women’s football) illustrate local impact?
36:51–42:02
Speakers
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