QHe gave the Green Party “Simple Solutions to Complex Problems” and made “irrevocable” promises to voters ahead of the next election that could disappoint, the Prime Minister’s chief secretary.
Darren Jones, one of Keir Starmer’s most powerful ministers, said the grumbling greens were “as little as the population left on the populist right” over electoral reform.
Labor fell to record polls, losing the support of parties on the progressive wing as well as again. A Poll in Igov this week put only four points ahead of the greens, which at 16%, more than double the 6.7% that participated in the last election.
As Stillmer returns from the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil, his government is divided over how to chart energy flows against net targets.
Jones emphasized that labor is not walking away from its green promises. “I can assure people that is not the case,” he said, citing government funding for renovations and insulation.
“Let’s be honest, a few years ago, there was a global convergence around Net Zero. Not now.
He said that Labor must prove to people that it is a “modern party that faces the future of Britain” to win over the previous strategic voter, to win over the previous strategic voter, a shift to his progressive voters, a shift to his previous strategy of meeting the right to prevent them from repeating again.
He said that he understands how young Britons, may feel that the economic system has not provided for them, but that they will “fail in second place in his Bristol North West West West West West West West West West West West West Seat.
“[The Greens] is a reliable player now in the five-party system we have now, based on polling,” he said.
“It is their responsibility to explain to the people how they will choose what to do when they are in government, as opposed to promising things that are not perishable.
“My criticism of them, like the reform, is that they offer simple solutions to complex problems and those are people who are not in the population.
“We need to make the case for a new, modern party of the future, and not just about the old status quo.
“They will be disappointed, because they will not get the change they want by voting for the populist left or the populist right.”
Jones said Labor could not count on progressive voters to return to them at the next election to keep Nigel’s fairs, despite recent Nigel proposals, although recent polls suggest they may vote for the tactic. “I don’t think ever. We have to work to win every single vote.”
He argued that the next election would be a fight between labor and reform, presenting a “grave” decision for the country.
“We are not yet in a position where you can come down to that population the right way, and we all have an obligation to the whole center and progressive politics that we don’t want to be here we don’t want to be here.”
He admitted that the prospect of failure to employ led to the government’s night-led approach. “Yes, because we can’t let it happen and we can’t let it happen.”
Ahead of the Rachel Refeves budget later this month, where she is preparing to increase income tax, the former Chancellor’s has not depended on breaking manifesto commitments when necessary.
“You make manifesto commitments because they’re important. You wouldn’t make them lightly, but equally, if you’re in government, you’ve got to be frank with the public about the trade-offs in the situations that you have and take the right decisions for the country, even if that makes you unpopular,” he said.
Privately, Cabinet ministers have told the watchdog that they will only accept a tax rise if something appears to benefit the public.
“Of course, we want to end up in a position where people across the country can see that we can help with the cost of life’s pressures.”
In his new post, Jones, based in Downing Street and the Cabinet Office, will be responsible for delivering the government. He said Labor needed to be bolder about revamping failing public services.
“What we cannot do is continue to protect the status quo which they did not do. Previous attempts to augment the current system have not proven to be very good and therefore we need to think more. “
He admits that, over time, AI will replace some civil service jobs. “We are working with old state structures that are not suitable for modern times and the public is losing as a result of that. So yes, in the long run, the civil service will be reduced.”
He is equally responsible for the digital ID, which is therefore introduced for the checks that work correctly – the only part of the system that will be mandatory – before the next election.
At the same time, legislative and technological work will be done to prepare for a wider development. Most systems will be built in-house, with external operators consulted for things like banking security levels.
Since Starmer announced the government will bring in digital ID, public support for it has flowed, to the alarm of ministers.
“There’s a lot of disinformation online … that says what it really is, surveillance. I mean, we should never build a system that way.”
Jones admitted the next local election in May, which felt inside less than 10 will be a period of disaster for Starmer, will be difficult. “Parting parties are not doing well in the midterm elections, that’s a fact,” he said. But he denied that it was a make-or-break moment for the starmer.
He did not deny, when asked, that he had leadership ambitions. “I’ve got a lot of great work that I’ve had for a week and I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime anywhere,” he said.