Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has admitted that Labour "not done government very well" in the last couple of years under Keir Starmer's leadership. Speaking on the Political Currency podcast with former Conservative chancellor George Osborne, Cooper accused Starmer's No 10 of sidelining her during the launch of a key immigration policy when she was home secretary.
Cooper highlighted difficulties ministers faced with Starmer's leadership, which she summarised as "bring me solutions, not problems". She contrasted this with what she described as a more collegiate style under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
As an example, Cooper criticised her exclusion from launching the immigration white paper in May 2025. She stated that No 10 wanted Starmer to announce it on his own, and she did not see what was going to be said or what the announcement was, despite the Home Office doing much of the work.
Cooper also spoke about her ambition to build a national consensus around a solution to the social care crisis and to reintroduce Sure Start-style children's centres for young families.