Gordon Brown: Support ‘swelling’ for Labour under Starmer’s leadership
Gordon Brown, the last Labour prime minister, said he believes there is more momentum behind the party than in the run up to Sir Tony Blairâs 1997 landslide victory.
He argued support is swelling under Sir Keir Starmerâs leadership because there is a âmore sweeping and more noticeable desireâ for change than when Labour last returned to power.
Mr Brown said the public are backing Labour because the party is offering âreal changeâ and not the âcosmetic changeâ he says lies behind the Toriesâ levelling-up plans.
The former Labour leader gave his assessment after launching his report calling for democratic overhaul of the UK, including the abolition of the unelected House of Lords.
Travelling on a packed train from Leeds to Edinburgh between stops on their launch, Mr Brown said public hunger for reform was greater than ahead of Sir Tonyâs defeat of John Majorâs Conservatives.
He told the PA news agency during a joint interview with Sir Keir while sitting in first class that âmore so than in 1997, people want changeâ.
âI was around obviously, in the many years from the 1980s to 1997 parliament and I saw the rising demand for change,â the former chancellor said.
âThe worry about the decline in public standards, which happened when we had all these sleaze allegations, the failure of the economy after ERM (Exchange Rate Mechanism) and peopleâs desire for change, but I think itâs a more sweeping and more noticeable desire, and itâs in every part of the country.
âIn 1997, we had a desire for devolution in Scotland, then in Wales, but now you see the desire for local power in Manchester, in Liverpool, in Newcastle but not just in the cities.â
Asked if that correlates with momentum behind Labour, he said: âI think so, because Labour is offering real change and not cosmetic change.
âLevelling-up seems to me to be cosmetic change. Because if you can move people up from the bottom rung, to the second bottom rung, you can say youâve succeeded. What we want is equal opportunity for every part of the country. And thatâs a big change.â
In 1997, we had a desire for devolution in Scotland, then in Wales, but now you see the desire for local power in Manchester, in Liverpool, in Newcastle but not just in the cities.
Gordon Brown, former Labour PM
Mr Brownâs losing election manifesto in 2010 contained a pledge to have an elected second chamber to replace the Lords.
But Sir Keir, along with his predecessor, said this is now not necessary for their sweeping reforms, which are out for consultation.
âLook, we will go into the election setting out in clear terms what the mission is for the next Labour government,â he told PA.
âIf we are elected to government then we have the mandate to carry out those missions.â
Sir Keirâs eventual legislation to reform the Lords will need legislation to be approved by the very peers who would be turfed out of Parliament by the changes.
He appeared to concede that some compromise on the plans published on Monday could be required.
âYou canât bring in this level, this scale of change, without consulting with people that are going to work with us in this transfer of power,â Sir Keir said.
I want the effects of this report to be felt in every single place across the UK
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer
There have been calls in the past for a new upper chamber to be moved out of London to reduce Westminsterâs overwhelming grip on power.
But Sir Keir did not indicate support for such a move, saying: âThe House of Lords is an important bit, but a bit of a massively wider review of what we will do.
âI want the effects of this report to be felt in every single place across the UK.
âTrue it is, the report doesnât say where the location of a second chamber should be, but thereâs no denying I want power to be exercised to be as close to people as possible.â
Riding high in the polls against a slumping Tory party, Labour will want to win support from the SNP as they seek to use the next election as a de-facto independence referendum.
Sir Keir said the proposed package of strengthened devolution would give him a positive case to make for a âstronger Scotland within a United Kingdomâ.
âWe are not arguing for the status quo against change. Weâre saying change versus change but change within the UK rather than change outside the UK,â he said.
The former Remain backer also hopes the reforms will be a positive message to send to Brexit voters who were voting against democratic power being concentrated elsewhere.
Sir Keir said the plans to devolve funding around the nation are âcertainly notâ a âsticking plasterâ to the dent to growth economists say has been dealt by leaving the EUâs single market.
He has not ruled out there ever being a case for rejoining the arrangement with the UKâs biggest trading partner, but says he is focused on getting a âbetter Brexitâ now.
âWeâve left the EU, that means weâve left the single market, and thereâs no case for rejoining,â he said.
Instead he said he wants to improve elements of the trade deal with the EU signed by former PM Boris Johnson to reduce trade barriers and resolve the issues of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
âIn all of the discussions Iâm having with international leaders and businesses, nobody is talking about rejoining the single market,â he said.
âEverybody is talking about a better relationship, everyone wants a better trading relationship. And thatâs what the Labour party will deliver.â