Morgan McSweeney, prime minister Keir Starmer’s most trusted adviser, was sent out to bat for his boss this week. AdvertisementMore than 80 of them turned up, including party grandees like former leader Neil Kinnock, George Robertson and Margaret Hodge. “It’s not exactly Friday night at the Glasgow Empire.”Nevertheless, it did not go well for McSweeney or, by extension, Keir Starmer. It was a really depressing meeting.”AdvertisementBarely 24 hours later, the already-sulphurous mood in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) got even worse when the result of the Caerphilly by-election confirmed their worst fears. Plaid Cymru won with 47% of the vote, bringing to an end more than a century of Labour dominance in the constituency.

Source: Huffington Post October 25, 2025 13:57 UTC