Quite right!: how to stage a leadership coup
Best of the Spectator
The Spectator
4.3 • 826 Ratings
🗓️ 9 May 2026
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this week’s Q&A: how do you mount a Labour leadership coup? As the results of the local elections roll in and speculation builds about Starmer’s future, Michael and Maddie discuss the mechanics of leadership bids, the dangers facing Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, and why the best advice for Labour’s next leader may be: don’t.
Also this week: has Britain really had enough of experts? Michael revisits his famous Brexit-era line, and whether he stands by it. Is there a difference between expertise, wisdom and technocracy – and does Parliament need debate more than deference?
Produced by Oscar Edmondson.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
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| 0:33.7 | Hello and welcome to the Spectators' Quite questions and answers podcast. And this week, |
| 0:41.9 | we will be discussing how to mount a leadership coup. We'll also be considering whether or not |
| 0:47.3 | we really have had enough of experts. And is there anything at all that you can say which is nice |
| 0:53.1 | about the Labour Party. |
| 0:55.9 | First question comes from anon. Michael, you know more than most about the mechanics of leadership |
| 1:00.5 | bids. What advice would you give to Angela Rainer, Andy Burnham and co, as they weigh up their next |
| 1:05.5 | move? It seems to me that Burnham is much more powerful and better off out of Westminster. |
| 1:10.5 | Well, I wouldn't want to give anyone too much advice about leadership kids |
| 1:13.3 | because almost all of those with which I've been involved |
| 1:16.3 | have gone very, very badly wrong. |
| 1:19.1 | The only leadership campaign with which I can associate myself, |
| 1:22.1 | which was wholly successful, was David Cameron's, |
| 1:25.6 | but then I was the lowliest of minions in that campaign. |
| 1:30.2 | I think that my advice to any of the Labour leadership contenders would be at this stage |
| 1:37.8 | to think hard about policy. |
| 1:41.6 | I know that there will be many who will roll their eyes at this, |
... |
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