With another week of failed Government negotiations with Trade Unions and fresh complaints against the Lord Chancellor, Whitehouse Communications sets out Who's Top Who's Not in Westminster.
Flying High: Stella Creasy
A prominent campaigner for abortion access and women’s rights, Stella Creasy has this week been campaigning heavily on childcare issues.
As the Commons saw the return of the Levelling Up and Regeneration bill on Tuesday, Creasy tabled an amendment seeking to change the law on childcare. The amendment would add the provision of subsidised or free childcare to infrastructure considerations in future planning developments.
Creasy successfully built a cross party coalition, including garnering the support of the new Education Committee chair Robin Walker, which was crucial for forcing the government to accept the amendment’s central provisions. This just shows that a well-organised campaigning MP can achieve significant policy change from the backbenches.
Middle ranking: Wes Streeting
This week has seen the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and the DHSC at loggerheads. Both sides have been round the table and still an agreement has not been reached. One would have thought that with the NHS facing a significant workforce dispute and a record backlog the Opposition’s job would be easy, yet the Shadow Health Secretary has found himself in hot water.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Streeting criticised the British Medical Association (BMA), which represents doctors and medical students, and urged colleagues to see the NHS as a “service not a shrine”. These comments were met with fury which culminated in fellow labour MP Sam Tarry accusing the Shadow Health Secretary of declaring a war on trade unions.
Despite these remarks, it must be recognised that the Shadow Health Secretary has provided robust criticism and frequently pressed the government throughout the failed negotiations. Accusing the Health Secretary of using nurses as a scapegoat, Streeting labelled Barclay’s response to the NHS pay dispute “a complete joke”.
It could be that Streeting is undertaking some careful political positioning and acting as Starmer’s human shield/outlier – by criticising the government whilst refusing to fully endorse the striker’s demands, it makes it harder for the Tories to criticise the Labour leadership for ‘being in the unions’ pockets’. And Streeting can take the flak from the left, leaving Starmer relatively unscathed. But it is a difficult political balancing act and both Starmer and Streeting will need to be careful not to fall on either side.
Sinking quickly: Dominic Raab
Raab has really found himself in the firing line this week. Facing another five formal complaints from Ministry of Justice civil servants, it’s hardly a surprise that he’s secured the bottom spot. Just when he thought he had cleared his name of the initial complaints made against him last month, it’s hard to see a way out for the Lord Chancellor as the risk of further complaints continues to loom large, potentially making his position untenable.
To add to his trouble, in the same week, the cheerleader for the Bill of Rights has seen his legislation ‘deprioritised’ by the Prime Minister. Grilled by the Joint Human Rights Committee on the Bill and asked whether he was embarrassed by the apparent lack of enthusiasm for the Bill from his colleagues, Raab desperately tried to rebuff this criticism, claiming “we’re ready to go”. However, it seems Raab is the only one ready to go, but not necessarily in the way some civil servants might hope.