In a recent appearance on the 'Political Currency' podcast, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper offered a candid assessment of the Labour government’s performance under Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Cooper remarked that the administration has 'not done government very well' over the past two years, pointing to structural and cultural issues within Downing Street.

Central to Cooper’s critique was the management style of Starmer’s No 10. She alleged that she was sidelined during the development and launch of a significant immigration policy while serving as Home Secretary. Cooper contrasted this experience with her previous work under Andy Burnham, describing the latter as having a more 'collegiate' and collaborative approach. She suggested that the current leadership’s directive to 'bring me solutions, not problems' has created friction and hindered the effective functioning of the cabinet.

Cooper’s comments highlight internal tensions regarding how policy is formulated and communicated within the current Labour government. While she remains a senior figure in the administration, her willingness to voice these frustrations on a public platform—hosted by former Conservative Chancellor George Osborne—marks a notable moment of internal dissent. The remarks have sparked discussion regarding whether the government’s centralized decision-making process is effectively serving its ministers or creating unnecessary barriers to policy implementation.