PM in ‘precarious position’ amid ‘unwise’ reshuffle rumours | Politics News

It’s “unwise” for Downing Street not to shut down talk of a cabinet reshuffle if the local elections go badly for Labour, the party’s former deputy leader has said.

Speaking to Sky’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Harriet Harman said it makes ministers “feel very demotivated and anxious”, and it “undermines morale and perception”.

The criticism of Number 10’s media handling comes after our political editor Beth Rigby revealed that Sir Keir Starmer’s inner team is split over whether a reshuffle should take place after the elections on 7 May.

She was told by senior government sources that the prime minister’s acting chief of staff Vidhya Alakeson and key cabinet figure Darren Jones, secretary to the prime minister, are advising Sir Keir to pause on a reshuffle.

On the other side, political director Amy Richards and chief whip Johnny Reynolds are pushing for one.

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Downing Street did not shut down reports this week that changes to the prime minister’s top team could be incoming, simply telling journalists that they do not comment on “speculation”.

Baroness Harman criticised that, telling the Electoral Dysfunction podcast: “I just feel a bit dispirited because I feel it’s unwise for Number 10 to have put into the public domain the idea that if there’s a bad election result on 7 May, the solution is going to be a reshuffle.

“Firstly, because if he [Starmer] decides that he doesn’t want to do a reshuffle after 7 May, because of all the speculation that has been running that there’s going to be one, it will look as if he hasn’t done a reshuffle because he wanted to, but he’s just not strong enough.”

Reshuffle talk also “makes secretaries of state and ministers feel insecure”, pointing to reporting that the technology secretary, Liz Kendall, could be among those to go.

“She’s going to feel very demotivated and anxious,” said Baroness Harman.

“But also her diary secretary’s going to think, ‘why should I bust a gut to get all these appointments in her diary for the second half of May or June? Because she’s probably not going to be in her job.'”

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‘It undermines morale’

She went on to explain that outside organisations planning meetings or conferences with Ms Kendall, or other ministers facing the chop, could “hold fire” because someone else might be in the job.

Baroness Harman added: “It’s unwise, even if they were planning to do a reshuffle and were absolutely certain on it, but it’s even more unwise if it’s actually not yet decided.

“So this is another handling issue – it undermines morale and perception.”

Starmer in ‘precarious position’

Beth Rigby explained on the podcast how she learnt on Wednesday of the discussions in Downing Street about a potential cabinet reshuffle.

The split in the prime minister’s team, she said, “tells you a lot” about his position.

It’s a “high stakes” moment for the government, Rigby said, adding: “The fact we’ve been talking about this is a reflection of the precarious predicament… the prime minister is in.”