A senior Labour MP on Sunday delivered a stark assessment of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's first year in office, saying "things just don't seem to be working" as the party confronts a contentious deputy leadership contest and a weekend government reshuffle.
Dame Emily Thornberry, the chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee and a former shadow minister, criticised what she described as mistakes by the leadership and said the party was "not listening" to members and supporters. Her remarks came after Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner resigned as deputy leader on Friday following a public admission that she had not paid enough tax on the purchase of a new flat.
Starmer conducted a rapid reshuffle over the weekend as he sought to steady his administration. The vacancy in the deputy leadership has prompted speculation and early manoeuvring inside Labour amid concern that an internal battle could coincide with efforts to regain momentum after a difficult first year in government.
Speaking on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Thornberry said she was "thinking about" a bid for the deputy leadership but would weigh what she could bring to the role. She praised what she saw as Labour's improved international standing under Starmer while warning that domestically the party was not getting its message across, citing achievements such as wage growth, housing starts and green energy investment that she said "nobody seems to be hearing about".
Thornberry warned Labour could not afford repeated errors because of the rising threat from Nigel Farage's Reform UK, saying the party had gone "from having a fantastic gift from the British public of a huge majority to now being at 20 per cent in the polls." She said Labour faced "the biggest fight of our lives" at the next election and urged the leadership to listen to people "of goodwill who want the party to succeed."
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham used the moment to call for a "reset" of what he described as a "London-centric" government and to back potential deputy leadership candidates from the north. Burnham suggested Louise Haigh, who left the Cabinet in November amid a fraud inquiry, and Lucy Powell, who was removed as Commons leader on Friday, as possible contenders and said the party needed to amplify the voices of members and communities outside London.
"We need to hear the voice of the party, the voice of the members, and then the voice of our communities behind that, particularly in the north of England, to counter that London centricity," Burnham said. He also urged the government to follow through on pledges, citing stalled negotiations on a Hillsborough law as an example of commitments that needed to be met.
The developments leave Starmer navigating internal dissent while attempting to steady a government that, by Labour standards, has seen early turbulence since taking office. The deputy leadership vacancy ensures a high-profile contest that could crystallise divisions over the party's direction and priorities.
Observers in allied capitals, including Washington, have routinely watched UK political shifts for their implications for diplomacy, trade and security cooperation. Thornberry's praise of improved international standing under Starmer echoed messages from other senior Labour figures that the government has bolstered the UK's posture abroad even as it struggles with domestic messaging and management.
Labour officials and figures across the party urged unity and a quick conclusion to the leadership debate, saying the priority must be delivering policy and rebuilding public confidence ahead of the next general election. Thornberry and others said that, if Labour can resolve internal disputes and sharpen its domestic message, it can focus on policy delivery and counter the momentum of rivals outside the mainstream.
No formal deputy leadership nominations had been announced on Sunday, and it remained unclear who would enter the contest. Thornberry said she would consider a run but would weigh whether she had the experience and strengths to make a difference, while Burnham's endorsements signalled an early push to elevate northern voices within the party.
As Labour seeks to stabilise its administration and control the narrative after a turbulent week, the outcome of the deputy leadership fight and the broader response to calls for a reset will shape the party's course heading into the next phase of government.