Labour MP Callum Anderson Talks Starmer's Future

Summary

Bloomberg Talks: Labour MP Callum Anderson Talks Starmer's Future

Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Bloomberg
Guest: Callum Anderson, Labour MP for Buckingham and Bletchley

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the current state of UK politics amid turbulence within the Labour government, focusing on the future of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership. Labour MP Callum Anderson joins Bloomberg to discuss his public support for Starmer, the government's change agenda, economic policy, discussions around cabinet roles, and how Labour is engaging with both Parliament and the public. The episode provides insights into both internal party dynamics and the challenges of delivering change in a difficult economic environment.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Turbulent Start for Labour and Starmer’s Leadership

[01:16–02:39]

• Anderson reaffirms his public support for Prime Minister Starmer, citing his capability and the party’s democratic mandate for change after 14 years in opposition.
  • Quote (Callum Anderson, 01:40):
    “Eighteen months ago, the Labour Party, after 14 years in opposition, was elected to a five year mandate to deliver change, change in our economy, change in our public services and change in the way that we do politics in this country.”
• Recognizes the inherited economic and geopolitical challenges that have slowed the government’s ability to deliver on its promises.
• Notes Starmer’s renewed determination to lead, especially following a recent internal address to Labour MPs and peers.

2. Cabinet Composition and Agenda for Change

[02:39–03:51]

• Discussion on expectations for changes in cabinet makeup and decision-making processes.
• Anderson stresses inclusivity over specifics, encouraging a more consultative approach across the wider parliamentary Labour Party.
  • Quote (Callum Anderson, 03:58):
    “There is a lot of experience, a lot of expertise from all intakes... I think it's important that we leverage that expertise because we've got huge economic and social challenges before us.”
• Rejects the idea of policy decisions being made by a narrow group, advocating for broad input from the party.

3. Balancing Inclusivity and Market Confidence

[04:29–05:47]

• Concerns raised about policy inclusivity potentially unnerving financial markets.
• Anderson insists both inclusivity and fiscal responsibility are possible, emphasizing his commitment to economic stability.
  • Quote (Callum Anderson, 04:47):
    “We can both be inclusive in our policy making… but also not be entirely sticking to our fiscal rules and the concept of being economically responsible. That's certainly something that's a non negotiable from my personal perspective.”
• Highlights Labour’s commitment to growth, citing infrastructure, pension capital, and fostering high-growth industries.

4. Debates Over the Chancellor and Economic Agenda

[05:47–07:10]

• Addressed speculation about replacing the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
  • Quote (Callum Anderson, 06:10):
    “Rachel Reeves has my full support and I think has the support of the parliamentary Labour Party. And changing the Chancellor certainly wouldn't be something that I would be considering.”
• Praises ongoing pension and industrial reforms, referencing initiatives such as East West Rail and Sizewell for infrastructure and energy.

5. Voter Concerns and the Labour Campaign

[07:10–07:54]

• On the doorstep, voters’ primary concerns remain the cost of living, NHS, schools, and economic well-being—not party leadership speculation.
  • Quote (Callum Anderson, 07:25):
    “People aren't talking about leadership… It is about the cost of living, it is about their NHS, their schools and making sure that we have an economy that works for everyone.”
• Emphasizes that MPs’ focus aligns with constituents’ real priorities.

6. Appointments and Transparency

[07:54–08:26]

• Brief discussion on the timeline of Peter Mandelson's appointment and related transparency; Anderson has no additional insights beyond what is publicly known.
• Asserts importance of transparency, but clarity will depend on ongoing processes at the Cabinet Office and police involvement.

7. Keeping Focus on Policy Amid Distractions

[08:26–10:01]

• Anderson reflects on the challenges of remaining focused on policy over the past 18 months in government.
• Describes the UK's economic “grave inheritance” and the scale of the turnaround needed.
  • Quote (Callum Anderson, 08:39):
    “It's not easy to turn around the big ship that is the United Kingdom economy.”
• Urges unity within the party and government to address economic growth, raise living standards, and reform public services for the coming decades.

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Memorable Quotes

• “Eighteen months ago, the Labour Party... was elected to a five year mandate to deliver change...”
  — Callum Anderson [01:40]

• “There is a lot of experience... and I think it's important that we leverage that expertise because we've got huge economic and social challenges before us.”
  — Callum Anderson [03:58]

• “We can both be inclusive in our policy making... but also not be entirely sticking to our fiscal rules and the concept of being economically responsible.”
  — Callum Anderson [04:47]

• “Rachel Reeves has my full support... changing the Chancellor certainly wouldn't be something that I would be considering.”
  — Callum Anderson [06:10]

• “People aren't talking about leadership... It is about the cost of living, it is about their NHS, their schools and making sure that we have an economy that works for everyone.”
  — Callum Anderson [07:25]

• “It's not easy to turn around the big ship that is the United Kingdom economy.”
  — Callum Anderson [08:39]

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Notable Timestamps

• 01:40 – Anderson explains why he supports Starmer
• 03:58 – Emphasis on leveraging party expertise
• 04:47 – Discussion about market stability vs. inclusive policymaking
• 06:10 – Clear support for Chancellor Rachel Reeves
• 07:25 – What voters really care about according to Anderson
• 08:39 – Challenges of turning around the UK economy

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Takeaway

Callum Anderson advocates strongly for unity behind Keir Starmer, promoting inclusivity within the Labour Party while reaffirming a firm stance on fiscal responsibility and economic growth. The episode provides a candid look at both the internal deliberations and public-facing challenges the Labour government faces, focusing on substance over leadership intrigue in the eyes of both MPs and their constituents.

Transcript

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[Bloomberg Host]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio News well, let's turn.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Back to the political turmoil in the UK now. Cabinet members have rallied to support the Prime Minister, staving off the possibility of a leadership challenge for now. But just how stable is Keir Starmer's leadership? Joining us now to discuss Labour MP Callum Anderson, who represents the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. Good morning Callum. Great to have you with us on Bloomberg Radio. You posted on social media your message of support for the Prime Minister. Why?

[Callum Anderson]

Well, I believe he is the best person for the job. Eighteen months ago, the Labour Party, after 14 years in opposition, was elected to a five year mandate to deliver change, change in our economy, change in our public services and change in the way that we do politics in this country. We've obviously been it's already been a very difficult week for the government and it's been a turbulent 18 months. First 18 months in government, we have inherited an incredibly challenging economic and geopolitical picture, which means we haven't been able to deliver the change that my people who live in my constituency want. But the time for us now, and I think last night when the Prime Minister spoke to Labour MPs and peers was really cleared his determination, his renewed determination to lead from the front. And I think we owe it to him to support him in delivering on his mandate.

[Bloomberg Host]

Good morning to you Callum. How big an expectation of change should we have on all kinds of fronts is this, you know, in terms of the makeup of the cabinet, the people in the room, when decisions are taking place, the nature of appointments and how that, how we add transparency to all that process. I mean what kind of big change agenda are we talking about next?

[Callum Anderson]

Well, I will leave appointments to his number 10 team to him. Ditto the cabinet and the junior ministerial positions. I think it's, it's important that we give them space now over the coming weeks and months given that we have a new parliamentary session. I anticipate later in the spring, early summer to deliver on that. But what I think the Prime Minister recognizes and I think what I recognize is that if we are to realize the full potential of the manifested that we were elected on, we do need to integrate and include the views of the whole parliamentary Labour Party, all Labour mps and peers. I don't think we want inadvertent, you know, we don't want a situation where decisions regarding economic policy or social policy are, you know, excessively to a small tight group.

[Bloomberg Host]

When you say all, are you talking about the gender in the cabinet or are you talking about the left or right spectrum in the cabinet?

[Callum Anderson]

Well, what I would say, you know, there's around 400 members, Labour members of Parliament. There is a lot of experience, a lot of expertise from all intakes. Obviously I'm most most familiar with my own. We've had people who run their own businesses, worked in finance, worked in all kinds of fields and I think it's important that we, we leverage that, leverage that expertise because we've got huge economic construct economic and social challenges before us.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

But how do you do that without worrying the markets? We've seen the wobbles over the past few days when there were questions about whether or not Keir Starmer would lead the party going from here. If you want a broader share of opinions in policy development, how do you do that and not spook your former colleagues in the City of London?

[Callum Anderson]

Well, I don't believe that it is mutually exclusive that we can both be inclusive in our policy making, ensure that we are bringing the whole parliamentary party with us, but also not be entirely sticking to our fiscal rules and the concept of being economically responsible. That's certainly something that's a non negotiable from my personal perspective. As you said, I worked for best part of a decade, 10, 15 minutes away from the studio. So I know absolutely that if we are to ensure that we have economic stability, something that we didn't have really for most of the last decade, that we need to stick to those principles of economic, fiscal, probity that also means we need to recommit to our growth agenda so that we could be that on infrastructure, be that on unlocking domestic pension capital. So we're really supporting those high growth industries. Yes, or high growth companies in the industries of tomorrow where we know that the UK will have comparative advantage.

[Bloomberg Host]

So Callum, do we need to think about a new Chancellor? I mean, on the one hand she has stuck to the fiscal rules, on the other, candid conversations, it seems between West Treating and Peter Mandelson suggest that there's a lot of conversation about whether she, whether the top team at number 10 and 11 has enough of a focus on the growth agenda. Are we thinking about a new Chancellor here? A new finance team?

[Callum Anderson]

Certainly not from my perspective. Rachel Reeves has my full support and I think has the support of the parliamentary Labour Party. And changing the Chancellor certainly wouldn't be something that I would be considering. I haven't read all of the WhatsApp exchanges between West Streeting and Peter Manderson, but I would say is that it is important that we do have a grave strategy. That's why I think it's really good that we're already advancing pension reform through the House of Commons. We have an industrial strategy which is, as I say, trying to support those industries, be it digital, artificial intelligence, defence, financial services that we know Britain has excelled at. And we also have a French infrastructure strategy. In my neck of the woods in Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, we have East West Rail set to open soon. There's Northern Powerhouse Rail, there's Sizewell when it comes to energy infrastructure. So there's all these, you know, there's all these ingredients for a growth strategy. But I recognize that we need to go even further in the years ahead.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

And I'm sure you're going to be out on the doorsteps campaigning in the run to the local elections as well as many of your colleagues will be too. How do you have those conversations with voters when people are going to mostly want to know who's going to be Prime Minister after the elections?

[Callum Anderson]

Well, I was knocking doors in my constituency on Sunday morning and people, people aren't talking about leadership, people aren't people. That isn't forefront of their minds. It's not forefront of my mind and my colleagues minds either. It is about the cost of living, it is about their nhs, their schools and making sure that we have an economy that works for everyone. And that's what I as an individual member of Parliament, but also my colleagues holding government positions are focusing on too.

[Bloomberg Host]

Do you think, when do you think we're going to have you heard when we're going to get further information about the appointment of Peter Mendelsohn and all of the, the background story that's, you know, to be published. But of course, the Metropolitan Police has said certain bits can't be or won't be for a while. Any update on the timing of all of that?

[Callum Anderson]

I don't have any insight beyond what I think we would have seen in the media previously that obviously the Cabinet Office will be, will be processing those documents and they'll be published as soon as possible. And I think that's a really important.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

And a good thing given the majority Labour has in Parliament. Are you surprised how difficult it's been to try and keep the conversation on policy over the past 18 months?

[Callum Anderson]

You know, I kind of reverted my point earlier about that. The real grave economic inheritance that we, that we inherited in 2024, be it on growth, low investment, living standards stagnant. I thought, I personally thought it would always going to be turbulent regardless of, you know, who's in what positions and, you know, whatever, because it's not easy to turn around the big ship that is the United Kingdom economy. And that's why I think, and I totally recognize that my constituents, people, you know, your listeners and people across the country are really, really keen and really eager for change and change today, change yesterday and tomorrow. Unfortunately, a lot of the challenges that we face are have no quick fixes. That's why it's so, so important that all in government, all of us on the backbenches, unite behind the prime Minister, the cabinet. And I just relentlessly focus on how we go, our economy, how we get living standards up, cost of living down wages up, fixing our public services, reforming our public services they actually are suited to for not just 2026, but the next decade and the decade after that. So that's what we need to be focusing on.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Okay, Callum, thank you so much for joining us. Callum Anderson, their Labour MP for Buckinghamshire, and Bletchley, appreciate your time on the program this morning.

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