'I'm full of despair!' GB News guest shares doubt Keir Starmer can 'rise to the challenge' to fix Britain

The founder and director of Unplugged told GB News: “It comes down to a few things. I think we have to reverse the supposed neutrality of the Civil Service. We need to put civil servants under the direct control of ministers.

“I also think we need major reform so that officials are properly held to account and entrusted with much more responsibility.

“But if they fail to deliver, they should be able to be moved on or exited. That would give ministers the real levers of power.

“Whether ministers themselves are up to the challenge of knowing what needs to be done and then pulling those levers is another matter.

“But the fact that the Prime Minister has complained about pulling a lever and nothing happening has been clear for many years.

“I remember speaking to Labour shadow ministers before the election, and saying that the system is absolutely broken.

“If you want to get anything done, you have to reform the state to achieve your objectives.

“I may not agree with them, but I want Britain to be a success. You have to do this — and they just looked at me blankly and did nothing about it.

“I’m full of despair at the lack of grasp this Government has about what needs to happen to reform the state and allow it to achieve anything, quite apart from arguments about whether I agree with it.

“So I’m a little pessimistic that he’s really going to rise to the challenge.

“To reform the state means making radical changes to human rights law, as well as slaying some of the sacred cows of the left around welfare spending and entitlements.

“I’m not sure he’s grasped the need to do that, and he’s certainly not acted on it.

“Even if he did, I’m not convinced Labour backbenchers, or the broader Labour Party, would allow him to enact such a programme.”

Michael Portillo pointed out that Mr Starmer had previously said “any time spent not focusing on the cost of living was a moment wasted”, before highlighting what he described as a contradiction in his actions.

“He rushed from the political cabinet, excluding civil servants, to Paris because there was yet another summit that he had to attend,” he said.

Portillo said the move left him questioning the Prime Minister’s mindset, arguing that Starmer appears far more comfortable on the international stage.

“My assessment is that he does better on foreign affairs than on anything else,” he said, describing it as a “comfort zone”.

“When you go abroad, you’re treated very nicely. Everyone’s very polite to you. As soon as you come home, everyone’s absolutely beastly,” he added.

“So you understand why prime ministers prefer foreign affairs.”