Mandelson warns Keir Starmer Labour must show more economic 'ambition'
New Labour architect Lord Mandelson warns Keir Starmer he has a YEAR to make his mark and demands leader show more ‘ambition’ on the economy to win over voters ahead of 2024 election – including copying some of Boris Johnson’s ideas
- Peer said Starmer needed ‘more powerful brushstrokes’ to win over voters
- In speech later will urge Starmer to introduce a far bolder economic policy
- Will talk of ‘desperate need’ to ape Boris Johnson on research and innovation
New Labour guru Peter Mandelson today warned Sir Keir Starmer he had a year to make his mark and put the party within reach of an election win.
Tony Blair’s former righthand man said the three-term PM’s successor needed to make ‘some more powerful brushstrokes’ to win over voters.
His remarks to Times Radio came ahead of a speech in which he is expected to urge Sir Keir to have a far bolder economic policy if he wants a resounding election win in 2024.
Lord Mandelson, a former minister and EU Commissioner, will warn the current party leader he needs to show more ‘ambition and hard thinking’ if we wants to do better than ‘sneaking over the finishing line’.
He is expected to add that a narrow win would mean ”inertia and decline’ for Britain as he struggles to push through his agenda.
The former Labour spin chief will also suggest that there is a ‘desperate need’ for Sir Keir to ape some of the policies of Boris Johnson on research and innovation, when he addresses the North East Chamber of Commerce in Durham later.
‘I am glad that Keir Starmer now wants to build on New Labour’s legacy. But this requires thinking deeply about how the world has changed since then and the opportunities it offers, as well as assessing realistically what we got right and where we could have done better,’ he will say, according to the Times.
Lord Mandelson will use a speech today to warn the current party leader he needs to show more ‘ambition and hard thinking’ if we wants to do better than ‘sneaking over the finishing line’ at the next election.
The former Labour spin chief will also suggest that there is a ”desperate need’ for Sir Keir to ape some of the policies of Boris Johnson on research and innovation, when he addresses the North East Chamber of Commerce in Durham later.
It is the latest intervention by the former minister and EU commissioner, a key supporter and aide to Blair
It is the latest intervention by the former minister and EU commissioner. Last September he confessed he would be ‘delighted’ to work in a Sir Keir-led Labour government and revealed former Tony Blair is offering advice to the party leader.
Lord Mandelson, one of the architects of New Labour, said the former Prime Minister had urged Sir Keir to do more to ‘project his personality’ in a bid to win round more voters in the next general election and is contact with him ‘from time to time’.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the former MP for Hartlepool admitted he would ‘love’ to be back in Government but confessed the likelihood was ‘fairly small’.
‘I’d love to go back to the government. There’s not a day that passes without my missing being in government’, the 67-year-old told The Telegraph’s weekly politics podcast Chopper’s Politics.
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