Steerpike Steerpike

Kerslake bags another Labour role

Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Another Labour leader, another role for Lord Kerslake. The former head of the civil service has been appointed to lead a review into the Labour party’s organisational structure. Bearded Bob has been charged with transforming Labour into a more ‘agile, cohesive and purposeful’ organisation to ensure the party can ‘fight and win the next general election in 2024’, according to a leaked letter from Starmer’s new gen sec David Evans. That would be the same Lord Kerslake who so successfully transformed Jeremy Corbyn’s office in the run up to the 2019 general election…

The problem, as Mr S has pointed out on numerous occasions, is that Kerslake is a crossbench peer, and as such is supposed to remain ‘non-party political’. What’s worse, Kerslake is only in his position of power because he headed up the civil service, that supposedly independent and apolitical institution.  

And finally, to add insult to injury, Kerslake is often cited as a source with which to beat the government, but is then refered to as though he were merely a neutral ‘former civil service chief’ rather than a party hack. (Take this piece in the Sun earlier this month, one of numerous examples where Kerslake is quoted attacking Boris Johnson with no mention made of Kerslake’s Labour connection). 

Is it too much to ask that a supposedly apolitical crossbencher and an ostensibly impartial former mandarin might actually behave like it?

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Steerpike
Written by
Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

Topics in this article

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in