Many of those who spoke to POLITICO described a lack of “curiosity” in the PM. “He doesn’t just ask questions, about policy, politics or what seems appropriate,” another former official said. Some ministers agree.
A current government official described Starmer’s approach to questioning policies and other decisions as “hear no evil, see no evil.” The official added: “You can’t claim to be this serious lawyer, this junior manager, mandarin and not worry about things like this.”
Boris Johnson vibes
One remarkable example of his indiscretion is that Starmer seems to show no great preference for how he wants to spend his own time. “He is very generous about his diary,” another former No 10 official said. Referring to Jill Cuthbertson, the senior assistant who ran Starmer’s diary, this person said: “It’s like, ‘What has Jill put in my diary today,’ and then if it’s something she’s not comfortable doing, someone else would take over, but she’d never be involved in the front of ‘here’s how I’d like to spend my day.’
There is one notable exception: Friday evenings. In the final days before the 2024 election, Starmer insisted he had a rule that he would not work after 6pm on Fridays because he wanted to protect family time with his young children. Predictably, his political opponents claimed at the time that this was evidence that the Labor leader would not work hard enough if he won power.
Many in Starmer’s team – including former colleagues – say the pay is unfair. And it is certainly true, for example, that Starmer regularly calls world leaders and attends many meetings about international conflicts such as Ukraine and the Middle East, at all hours of the day and week.
But some former leaders still see problems. Ultimately, the job “requires” constant work and a willingness to spend every waking moment strategizing about politics, one said. And senior civil servants could find the Prime Minister relaxed outside normal office hours. “They certainly don’t call their colleagues ideas or thoughts about events on the weekend or in the evening,” another added.
