Cooper criticises Starmer’s leadership style, praises Burnham
Yvette Cooper alleges she was sidelined during the May 2025 immigration white paper launch and contrasts Keir Starmer’s approach with Andy Burnham’s collegiate method.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper has publicly stated that the Labour Party did not govern effectively in recent years, attributing the shortfall to a leadership style under Keir Starmer that she argues sidelined ministers. Speaking on the Political Currency podcast with former Conservative chancellor George Osborne, Cooper described the previous administration’s approach as one that prioritised pre-set solutions over political engagement.
Cooper, who served as Home Secretary before her current appointment, detailed her exclusion from the launch of the immigration white paper in May 2025. Despite the Home Office’s significant involvement in developing the policy, she alleged that No 10 required Starmer to front the announcement alone. She noted that she was not shown the content of the speech beforehand and was left to defend a framework that framed the risk of Britain becoming an “island of strangers”.
The health secretary contrasted this with the leadership style of Andy Burnham, whom she praised for a more collegiate and discursive approach. Cooper highlighted Burnham’s willingness to engage with ministers on problems rather than simply presenting them with options, citing his passion for social care reform and his desire to include departmental heads in policy launches.
She argued that Starmer’s mantra of “bring me solutions, not problems” was ineffective for driving political change, which requires emotional engagement and inclusion. Cooper suggested that while Starmer’s style may have other merits, it failed to foster the consensus needed to navigate complex governance challenges, unlike the collaborative model she observed under Burnham.
Beyond leadership critique, Cooper advocated for a national consensus on social care reform to prevent a growing crisis for the NHS. She also expressed anger at Osborne’s decision to cut funding for Sure Start children’s centres, calling for a bipartisan agreement to reintroduce such support for young families to ensure long-term stability for early childhood development.
