1 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News. Well, let's turn back 2 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: to the political turmoil in the UK. Now Cabinet members 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,080 Speaker 1: of rally to support the Prime Minister, saving off the 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 1: possibility of a leadership challenge for now. But just how 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: stable is Keir Starmer's leadership? Joining us now to discuss 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: Labor MP Calum Anderson, who represents the Buckingham and Bletchley constituency. 7 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: Good morning, Calum. Great to have you with us on 8 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Radio. You've posted on social media your message of 9 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: support for the Prime minister. 10 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 2: Why well, I believe he is the best person for 11 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 2: the job. Eighteen months ago, the Labor Party, after fourteen 12 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 2: years in opposition, was elected to a five year mandate 13 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:44,919 Speaker 2: to deliver change, change in our economy, change in our 14 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: public services. 15 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 3: And changing the way that we do politics in this country. 16 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 2: We've obviously been it's not been a very difficult week 17 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 2: for the government and it's been a turbulent eighteen months. 18 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 2: First eighteen months in government. We have inherited an incredibly 19 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 2: challenging economic and geopolitical picture, which means we haven't been 20 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 2: able to deliver the change that people who live in 21 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: my constituency want but the time for us now, and 22 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,320 Speaker 2: I think last night when the Prime Minister spoke to Labor, 23 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,839 Speaker 2: MP's and peers, was really cleared his determination, his renewed 24 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 2: determination okay, to lead from the front, and I think 25 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 2: we owe it to him to support him in delivering 26 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 2: on his mandate. 27 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 4: Coimuny to see Kellum. So, how big an expectation of 28 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 4: change should we have on all kinds of fronts? 29 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 3: Is this? 30 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 4: You know, in terms of the makeup of the cabinet, 31 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,040 Speaker 4: the people are in the room when decisions are taking place, 32 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 4: the nature of appointments, and how we add transparency to 33 00:01:46,319 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 4: all that process. I mean, what kind of big change 34 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 4: of gender are we talking about next? 35 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 2: Well, I will leave appointments to his number ten team 36 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 2: to him, ditto the cabinet and the Junior Minister of positions. 37 00:01:57,720 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 3: I think it's good. 38 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 2: It's important that we give them space now over the 39 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 2: coming weeks and months, giving that we have a new 40 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: parliamentary session. I anticipate later in the spring early summer 41 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 2: to deliver on that. But what I think the Prime 42 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 2: Minister recognizes, and I think what I recognize, is that 43 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 2: if we are to realize the full potential of the 44 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 2: manifest that we were elected on. We do need to 45 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 2: integrate and include the views of the whole parliamentary Labor Party, 46 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 2: all Labor MPs and peers. I don't think we want 47 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 2: in a you know, we don't want a situation where 48 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 2: decisions regarding economic policy or social policy are excessively to 49 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 2: a small type group. 50 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 4: When you say, all, are you talking about the gender 51 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 4: in the cabinet or are you talking about the left 52 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 4: or right spectrum in the cabinet? 53 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 2: Well, what I would say, you know, it was around 54 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 2: four hundred Labor members of Parliament. There is a lot 55 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 2: of experience, a lot of expertise from all intakes. Obviously 56 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 2: I'm most most familiar with my own. We've had people 57 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,359 Speaker 2: who run their own businesses, worked in finance, worked in 58 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 2: all kinds of fields, and I think it's important that 59 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 2: we leveraged that levered expertise because we've got huge economic construction, 60 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: economic and social challenges before us. 61 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: But how do you do that without worrying the markets. 62 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: We've seen the wibbles over the past few days when 63 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: there were questions about whether an artcare starmer would lead 64 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,079 Speaker 1: the party. Going from here, if you want a broader 65 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: share of opinions in policy development. How do you do 66 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: that and not spoke your former colleagues in the City 67 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: of London. 68 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 2: Well, I don't believe that it is mutually exclusive. That 69 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 2: we can both be inclusive on our policy making, ensure 70 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 2: that we're bringing the whole Parliamentary party with us, but 71 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 2: also not be entirely sticking to our fiscal rules and 72 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 2: the concept of being economically responsible. That's something certainly something 73 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 2: that's a non negotiable from my personal perspective. As you said, 74 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 2: I've worked for best part of a decade ten fifty 75 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 2: minutes away from the studio, so I know absolutely that 76 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 2: if we are to ensure that we have economic stability, 77 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 2: something that we didn't have really for the last decade, 78 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,800 Speaker 2: that we need to stick to those principles of economic 79 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 2: fiscal probity. That also means we need to recommit to 80 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,600 Speaker 2: our growth agenda so that we could be that on infrastructure, 81 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,559 Speaker 2: that on unlocking domestic pension capital, that we're of really 82 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: supporting those high growth industries, yes, or higher growth companies 83 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 2: in the industries. 84 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 3: Of tomorrow where we know that the UK will have advantage. 85 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 4: So calm, do we need to think about a new 86 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,279 Speaker 4: Chancellor I mean, on the one hand, she has stuck 87 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 4: to the fiscal rules. On the other, candid conversations, it 88 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 4: seems between Where Streeting and Peter Mandelson suggests that there's 89 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 4: a lot of conversation about whether she or whether the 90 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,359 Speaker 4: top team at number ten and eleven has enough of 91 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 4: a focus on the growth agenda. Are we thinking about 92 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,280 Speaker 4: a new chancellor here, new finance team? 93 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 3: Certainly not from my perspective. 94 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 2: Rachel Reeves has my full support and I think has 95 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 2: the support of the Parliamentary Labor Party, and changing the 96 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 2: chances that certainly wouldn't be something that I would be considering. 97 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 2: I haven't read all of the the WhatsApp exchanges between 98 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 2: west Street and Peter Manderson, but I would say is 99 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 2: that it is important that we do have a grave strategy. 100 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 3: That's why I think it's really good that we have. 101 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 2: We're already advancing pension reform through the House of Commons. 102 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 3: We have an industrial strategy. 103 00:05:30,880 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 2: Which is, as I say, trying to support those industries 104 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 2: be it digital, artificial intellience, defense, financial services that we 105 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 2: know Britain has excelled at. And we have a French 106 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 2: infrastruture strategy. In my neck of the words. In Buckinghamshire and 107 00:05:44,320 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 2: Milton Keynes. We have East West Rail set to open soon, 108 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 2: there's Northern Powerhouse Rail, there's size well and when it 109 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 2: comes to energy and for structures, so there's all these 110 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 2: you know, there's all these ingredients for a growth strategy. 111 00:05:57,920 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 3: But I recognize that we need to go even for 112 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 3: in the years ahead. 113 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: And I'm sure you're going to be out on the 114 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 1: doorsteps campaigning in the run for local elections as well 115 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: as many of your colleagues will be too. How do 116 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 1: you have those conversations with voters when people are going 117 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: to mostly want to know who's going to be Prime 118 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:16,400 Speaker 1: minister after the elections. 119 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 2: Well, I was knocking doors in my constituency on Sunday 120 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 2: morning and people aren't talking about leadership. People aren't people 121 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 2: that isn't fore front of their minds. It's not forefront 122 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 2: of my mind and my colleague's minds either. It is 123 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 2: about the cost of living. It is about their nhs, 124 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 2: their schools and making sure that we have an economy 125 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 2: that works for everyone. 126 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 3: And that's what I as an. 127 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:43,720 Speaker 2: Individual member of Parliament, but also my colleagues holding government 128 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 2: positions are focusing. 129 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 4: On team do you think, when do you think we're 130 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 4: going to have you heard, when we're going to get 131 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 4: further information about the appointment of Peter Mandelsohn and all 132 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 4: of the background story that's you know, to be published, 133 00:06:57,600 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 4: but of course the Metropolitan Police has said certain bits 134 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 4: can't be or won't be for a while. Any any 135 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 4: updates on the timing of all of. 136 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 2: That, I don't have any insight beyond what I think 137 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 2: we would have seen in the media previously. 138 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 3: That obviously the Cabinet Office. 139 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 2: Will be will be processing those documents and they'll be 140 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 2: published as soon as possible, And I think that's really 141 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 2: important and. 142 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: A good thing given the majority Labor has in Parliament. 143 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: Are you surprised how difficult it's been to try and 144 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: keep the conversation on policy over the past eighteen months, 145 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: You know, I. 146 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 2: Kind of refer to my point earlier about that the 147 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: real grave economic inherence do mean that we that we 148 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 2: inherited in twenty twenty four, be it on growth, flow, investment, 149 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 2: living standards stagnant. I thought, I personally thought it would 150 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 2: always going to be turbulent, regardless of you know, who's 151 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 2: in what positions and you know whatever, because it's not 152 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 2: easy to turn around the big ship that is the 153 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 2: United Kingdom economy. 154 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 3: That's that's why I think and I totally recognize that 155 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 3: in my. 156 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 2: Constituents, people you know, your listeners and people across the 157 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 2: country are really really keen and really eager for change 158 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 2: and change today, changed, yesterday and tomorrow. 159 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 3: Unfortunately a lot of the challenges. 160 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 2: That we face are have no quick fixes, and that's 161 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 2: why it's so so important that all in government, all 162 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 2: of us on the back benches, unite behind the Prime Minister, 163 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 2: the cabin that and I just relentlessly focused on how 164 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 2: we go our economy, how we get living standards upcast 165 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:42,079 Speaker 2: the living down, wages up, fixing our public services, reforming 166 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 2: our public service that they actually are suited for not 167 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 2: just twenty twenty six, but the next decade and a 168 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 2: decade after that. 169 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 3: So that's what we need to be focusing on. 170 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: Okay, Callum, thank you so much for joining us calum 171 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:58,280 Speaker 1: Anders in their labor MP for Buckinghamshire and Bletchley appreciate 172 00:08:58,320 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: your time on the program. This more. 173 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 4: Nang