Starmer has a lot to prove at Labour conference
The Politics Show
The New Statesman
4.2 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 28 September 2025
⏱️ 27 minutes
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Summary
The prime minister has described the opposition to Reform UK as “the fight of our times”, but a new poll has also found that Starmer has become the most unpopular PM on record. Meanwhile the spectre of Andy Burnham's leadership bid will not rest. There's a lot for Starmer to prove over the next few days in Liverpool at the Labour Party conference.
Anoosh Chakelian is joined by George Eaton and Ethan Croft.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, my name is Daikog-Dago and I'm the creator of the exhibition, Pictograms. |
| 0:09.0 | Visit Japan House London on Kensington High Street for this free exhibition exploring Japan's important role in developing visual communication, a language without words. |
| 0:20.3 | Book your tickets now at japanhouselondon.uk. The New Statesman. |
| 0:42.3 | Kirstama is in Liverpool, and so are we. Yes, it's Labour Party Conference, and we're going to be coming to you from the Banks of the Mersey for the next few days. |
| 0:47.3 | I'm Anusha Kellyan, and joining me today on the New Statesman podcast is our political correspondent Ethan Croft, |
| 0:53.3 | Hi, Anish. And senior editor, George Eaton. Hello, Anish. Hello, both of you. So what is at stake over the next few days and what does Stama need to prove? There's a general bad mood around his leadership, I think it's fair to say. Why has that come about, George? Well, look, there was a Mori poll, wasn't there? I think showing that he's the most unpopular prime minister in recorded history. |
| 1:15.3 | I think minus 66 net approval rating. |
| 1:18.4 | The polling is universally pretty dreadful. |
| 1:21.3 | And that's, and has been for a while. |
| 1:22.8 | And that's leading people in Labour, including those naturally sympathetic to it, |
| 1:26.1 | Kira, someone to ask serious questions |
| 1:27.7 | about his leadership and obviously rivals are circling. Most obviously, Andy Burnham on the front |
| 1:35.0 | of this week's new Statesman, which obviously very much defined the buildup to conference, |
| 1:41.2 | not the starts that Kier Stammer and his team wanted it all. |
| 1:44.4 | But I think they feel now they've got room to go on the offensive. |
| 1:48.9 | And that offensive is directed at two people. |
| 1:52.6 | So you're seeing a much more aggressive approach towards reform. |
| 1:56.9 | I think that's reached new heights in his kissum interview with Lord Kunzberg, where he |
| 2:01.7 | called their policy of scrapping indefinite leave to remain, deportation plan, immoral and racist. |
| 2:10.3 | And then I think Andy Burnham has also fired them up. |
| 2:14.6 | One cabinet minister said to me earlier, look, Labor is a loyal tribe. They don't |
| 2:19.0 | like someone violently rocking the boats. And a lot of MPs are of the opinion. As one on the |
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