I've worked in politics for a decade AMA

[EK27]

First in Westminster as a Parliamentary staffer, then for a political party, now in a political lobbying type role where I work with MPs from all parties (including travelling with them, so have got to know some well). AMA.

Are you Sue Gray?

No... I'm sure she's got more important things to do on a Thursday afternoon that post on Mumsnet!

How important do you think it is that there is a reasonable level of trust between the government and the general public? How would you describe that level of trust at the moment? What do you think that will look like when this government breaks an explicit manifesto promise not to increase taxes on working people - (and a promise repeated in the subsequent Autumn budget) - at the end of November?

I think it's extremely important that there is a level of trust between the government and the public and I think a huge amount of damage has been done to it over recent years. In particular, I don't think we've reckoned as a society with the trauma of Covid and what it meant to find out our own leaders were breaking rules they'd imposed on others in order to have parties in Downing Street. I think it really broke something fundamental in terms of believing leaders have a basic level of integrity, and was a truly disgusting episode to live through. I really don't think most politicians would have behaved like that, but tragically we had someone in no. 10 who did.

I also don't think Labour should have campaigned on saying there wouldn't be tax rises. But I also think it's hard for politicians to be honest sometimes about tax and spend - there's not much appetite for uncomfortable truths to be honest.

Well this is a new idea for a pro Labour thread.
I hope everyone working in and around government aren’t quite so biased.

Have you ever met Farage @EK27 ? I have heard that he can be quite charming in real life.

No, never met him. I'm sure he's charming for as long as he's not challenged.

I imagine most people working for a Labour government will support the Labour party! It's an AMA - I've answered people's questions.

Umpteen years ago I worked in the Home Office (immigration and nationality directorate as it was named at one point before becoming just HO). I briefly did cover at the then immigration minister’s office - I sat in on a couple of policy meetings. I was utterly shocked at how the MP did not understand the immigration system at all - they didn’t know that asylum claims could be made on arrival (aside from that being the most appropriate time to do so) for instance and also didn’t appear to know that Irish people could live and work in the UK without visas.
I was in the office when the MP addressed parliament on whatever was at issue at the time and I remember the despair at the office when they gave wrong answers.
Strikingly no other MPs seemed to know any different to what was said.
Obviously I won’t name the MP.
Thats a long-winded into to asking do you see this level of lack of knowledge of the ministerial post’s “area” or was this an anomaly?

Wow that's shocking. I imagine I could take a guess at who that was. I haven't worked with many Ministers but I think the important thing is to get serious, competent people into positions and give them time to master their briefs. Preferably they should stay in post for years, the constant churn just makes it impossible to govern. Obviously if they're underperforming or get involved in a scandal, it's right that they leave.

I genuinely think the current quality of MPs and Ministers is much higher than it was under the previous couple of governments and I can't think of any Ministers currently in post whom I think a description like that could apply to. I've been working with one Minister closely recently who is pretty new to the brief but who I can see is making the effort to understand it and take good advice. That feels like it should be a minimum requirement.

Thanks, hope it's been interesting for people

Thanks OP. It's really interesting to get a behind the scenes perspective. A couple of questions.

Have you ever met Larry the Downing Street cat?

Do you think there are enough quality MPs left in the Conservative party to try and salvage it back to a sensible opposition? It doesn't feel like it from the outside looking in and their implosion has left a void where a central right party should be, which is benefitting Reform.

I have never met Larry the Cat but would like to! Although he's 18 now so assume he won't be around for too much longer...

There are still some vaguely sensible / centre-right MPs left in the current Tory party, and I assume they are working behind the scenes now to decide on a candidate who will replace Kemi and drag the Tory party away from the far right, and back towards something approaching relevance.

But if their next leader is determined to keep going further to the right, ultimately I see the non-far-right Tory MPs either quietly standing down at the next election, or convincing themselves Reform is the least-worst option for the country compared to Labour, and allying with them. I don't think they have the fight in them to be honest, and it's amazing what people can convince themselves of.

I don’t relate to this. But it is interesting that a poll today shows Labour languishing to the extent that Reform is first by a fair margin and Greens second.

Your posts are very Labour, I can see why they have a circle around them reinforcing what they’re doing. I don’t mean that it a bad way, just I can see how a party can disconnect with the public.