The Labour Party is becoming its own opposition

How Starmer and his top team treat those who oppose and challenge them on welfare reform will have longer lasting consequences than they realise

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I watched the spring statement yesterday. I switched off the TV the moment after Rachel Reeves stopped talking. Largely, being honest, because part of my work was helping a few organisations to respond to the statement so I had a lot of work to do. But also because I had no interest at all in what Mel Stride had to say about it.

That’s not because I hate Tories and all they stand for. It’s because Mel Stride is pretty much irrelevant and life is too short.

The Tories may become relevant again at some point, but it will not be at this point in the electoral cycle and it will not be until they sort themselves out – something they seem unable and, more importantly, unwilling to do. Badenoch has some political skills. But not ones that are suited to the rebuilding of a broken party or leading a credible rather than noisy opposition.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t building a real opposition to some of the decisions the government are taking. It is – inside the Labour Party. And at all levels. What were grumbles are becoming rumbles. The discontent is loud if not public.

For the moment, those touring the airwaves are the usual suspects. And as long as the public opposition continues to only come from the likes of Richard Burgeon, Nadia Whittome and Clive Lewis, Labour’s top team will think that is job done.

They’re wrong.