Burnham Names Phillipson Party Chair to Steady Labour
The Prime Minister has appointed Bridget Phillipson as chair of the Labour Party and brought figures from the party’s left into government, in a round of appointments read as an effort to shore up support before a difficult fight over welfare. The moves, made on Monday evening, aim to bind potential critics to his government. Ms Phillipson, the equalities minister, keeps her cabinet role alongside the party post.
By drawing members of the Socialist Campaign Group of left-wing MPs into his administration, Mr Burnham appears to be trying to head off the kind of rebellion that could derail his welfare and public-service reforms. It is a familiar tactic — offering office to would-be rebels — but one that carries risks if the concessions unsettle the centre of the party. The reshuffle underlines how much Mr Burnham’s success will depend on managing a restive parliamentary party through a summer of contentious decisions. Watch how the left responds and whether the appointments buy him room to manoeuvre.