Labour has not learned lessons from the Tories on “changing the leader at the top”, Peter Kyle has said, as he noted that “entitlement is not a qualification for leadership”.
The Cabinet minister’s comments came as Andy Burnham is seeking a return to Parliament through the Makerfield by-election and potentially replace Sir Keir Starmer in Downing Street.
Speaking at a press gallery lunch in Westminster on Thursday, Mr Kyle said: “I don’t think we’ve learned the lessons of the Tory party in government, where every time there was a problem that was experienced with their government, there was only one solution, and that’s changing the leader at the top.
“There was never any acceptance in the Tory party at the time that the challenges that they had were related to a programme of government… and they always just felt that changing the person at the top would solve it.”
Mr Kyle expressed his “frustration” over his party’s failure to learn that lesson and criticised colleagues who “blame one person” and fail to “accept responsibility for our collective endeavour as a Government”.
The Business Secretary also complained that “we reward the wrong behaviour in politics”, with policy progress not reported by the press.
“What the media report as positives is individual people that want to thrust themselves forward at moments of instability,” he said.
“People who put their heart and soul into delivering stability and authority at times of challenge is not what is reported, it’s not what is rewarded in our body politic.”
He went on to say: “Entitlement is not a qualification for leadership.
“And until we answer the question of what is a qualification for leadership, and it’s a different one to that one, then I think we’re always going to end up in this cycle of change, because we simply reward them on behaviour and if that gets you to the top, then we have another spin of the dice.”
Sir Keir’s position remains precarious after Labour’s mauling in the local and devolved elections, with former health secretary and leadership hopeful Wes Streeting – a close friend of Mr Kyle’s – outlining an alternative policy platform.
Mr Kyle said he spoke “very often” with Mr Streeting, but added: “If you put friendship ahead of what you believe is in the interest of the country, that takes you to a very bad place.”
The Business Secretary said he agreed it was not a good idea to add a seventh prime minister to the six who have occupied No 10 over the last decade.
And he joked: “I think I should stay as Secretary of State for at least 100 years.”
Mr Kyle explained Labour’s recent electoral humiliation by saying voters “want to see that Government can match the scale of challenges that they perceive we have as a country”.
He said the Government, after coming into office, “did big things, but people didn’t feel it” and had to show it was “willing to do anything to deliver the benefits that people feel”.
While rejecting the politics and methods associated with Donald Trump’s drive to deliver change, Mr Kyle said: “I don’t see why you can’t use the same boldness and speed to do progressive policies.
“I think so often we’re seen as being held back by things that are important for us rather than what they wouldn’t see as important for them.”
