Sue Gray, Morgan McSweeney, and The Clash Between Policy and Politics.

By Hemal Pallan (they/them)

In October, 10 Downing Street Chief of Staff and former senior civil servant Sue Gray resigned from her role. The previous few weeks had been mired in controversy surrounding her relationship with the Prime Minister, with the press full of unverified allegations of Gray micromanaging, and of Starmer having created an environment hostile to women. Another part of the story, reported since the first few weeks of the Labour government, is the alleged conflict between Gray and Morgan McSweeney, who was appointed head of political strategy in July, but has now succeeded Gray in the post of Chief of Staff. This conflict was often portrayed as a clash between Gray’s focus on policy and McSweeney’s ‘politics first’ approach. Whilst it is of course overly simplistic to reduce these two people and their internal power struggle to the ideological conflict of policy over politics, it does raise the question of how the government should attempt to balance the two, and whether they have been getting this balance right in their first few months.

It does, at first glance, make apparent sense for a government, especially a new one, to prioritise its political image and standing. This government, to be successful in leaving an impact on the country and its citizens, will want to secure more than just a single term. To do this they have to institute popular policies and maintain a good public perception. Proponents of a ‘politics first’ approach say that there is no point in implementing radical yet unpopular policies if it just empowers opposition parties to win power and undo said policies in a few years. Over-prioritising political standing, however, can inadvertently damage the reputation of a government. Labour, to appear fiscally responsible, has made the (arguably economically unsound) decision to means-test winter fuel payments. This has been very unpopular, in part due to it coinciding with a scandal based on donations. A ‘politics first’ approach then is necessary sometimes, but can easily backfire.

Prioritising policy however is not without its risks either. Unpopular policies are often hard to implement due to pressure both from the public and from within the government’s parliamentary party. An additional challenge with a policy-focused approach is navigating the media. Whilst focusing on political image can occasionally inadvertently lead to negative media coverage, focusing on the policies that a party (especially a left-wing party) intends to put into practice will consistently get that party into controversy within the media. The Labour government has already seen some of this, including media opposition to their policy of removing private school's VAT relief. This kind of ideologically driven policy is a lot harder to smoothly and uncontroversially implement without turning the tide of public opinion against a government. 

When considering what kind of balance between politics and policy the government should be aiming for, it is important to consider the context of the position they are currently in. Labour has the largest parliamentary majority a government has seen since the early 2000s. As the last general election was not long ago at all, the government is safe to assume that it has years before the next one. Whilst public opinion has to be considered throughout the term, the government may be better off spending the first year or two focusing on implementing the policy that they are ideologically inclined to. Not only will the government fulfil their purpose of fundamentally changing the country, but if its policies are implemented properly by the time of the next general election, they should have garnered popularity simply by being able to point to a strong record of improving the lives of the electorate. In the year or so before the election (a date decided by the government), more of a focus on pure politics will then be justified, aiming to secure another majority, and the opportunity for further progress and change. If the entire term is taken up by attempting to win the next election, the question of what is the point of winning power is made valid and pertinent.

Labour should then be using the strength of their majority, as well as the long span of time before the next general election, to implement the policies they genuinely want. Now is the time to focus on policy. It is concerning then, that Starmer has replaced Gray with McSweeney, placing a ‘politics first’ approach at the heart of the new government.

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