“I think that it was definitely more exciting and more fun when we were in opposition, because we felt like we were really building towards something.”
Sarah* has worked in parliament for several years and for several Labour MPs. They were excited and hopeful to be in government, but soon “the reality of governing” took its toll. The state of the economy damaged spirits in particular. But there have also been multiple missteps, U-turns, scandals and a pronounced shift to the right on some issues. Now some staffers are looking at the government with less hope and more sadness. “Things that we’d hoped would be brought in haven’t been,” Sarah said.
MPs from across all parties rely on a corps of 3,500 support staff. They work in Westminster and in constituencies, on policy and issues, handling constituent casework and organising their MP’s presence at local events. Around 2,000 work for Labour MPs, but morale has been hit by the direction and effectiveness of the government and the party.
“I gave up a really good job to make the switch over, because I thought we were really going to make a difference,” Rachel* said. They went to work for a Labour MP in their constituency office following their election. “After years of Tories, it felt like this was a chance that doesn’t come along very often, and I wanted to be part of it. I think now there’s a lot of things that I feel ashamed to be connected with, rather than proud to be,” she said.
I asked when things started to go wrong. Several staffers mentioned the winter fuel payment. Labour restricted the payments to people receiving Pension Credit over the winter of 2024 then U-turned in May following poor local election results. According to Sarah, the message that landed was “we’re stealing from frail, poor old people. That was a low point.” Peter, a staffer in Westminster, said, “I was very pro the winter fuel payment changes, but it was a completely mad thing to do politically. You just announce it one day, and then we’re left there dealing with the shit of all the abuse that comes into the inbox.”
Then there were all the scandals. In the year since the election, there have been scandals resulting in the resignation of five ministers, and damaging revelations of free gifts given to Keir Starmer. Peter blamed the government for setting unrealistic expectations. “We came in saying that we were going to be scandal free. We’re going to be better morally in the Tories, which is a mad thing that you can’t control,” he said.
But staffers mentioned a variety of issues on which they felt disappointed by the government’s actions and moves, ranging from watering down Net Zero targets to Gaza to Labour’s shift to the right on migration. “There’s definitely staff who feel demotivated because of the policies that have come up,” said Rachel. Amy and her colleagues were hopeful that the Labour government would be progressive, but found it a “hard task” after 14 years of Tory government. “We’re all so disappointed in the choices this leadership has made so far on big social issues, especially when it comes to attacks on refugees and migrants, disabled people, and trans people, or the inaction on the horrors in Gaza… all of these things have been indefensible to our constituents, many of whom are personally affected by the government’s decisions.”
Staffers are often party members or supporters and volunteer to campaign in elections, or even serve as councillors. Several had bruising experiences in the 2025 local elections, where Labour lost 187 council seats and Reform became the largest party on 12 councils, many of which were formerly Labour.
“I didn’t stand for election, but a lot of obviously, a lot of my friends did, and there was nothing that came to them [from the Labour Party] being like, ‘I’m so sorry you lost.’ There was nothing to any of the leaders of the Labour groups in those areas who had lost their seats,” said Naomi. Rachel was constantly being asked about the changes to winter fuel payments.
Conversely, when it comes to achievements, staffers feel frustrated that the government is not talking them up. “[The] Renters’ Rights [Act] was genuinely transformational I think, but no one knows about it. No one talks about it. It’s not something we shout about, and then we focus on things that are unpopular,” Peter said.
“There are other good bits: breakfast clubs, more free school meals, all those things are things I really believe in. The pride in place, funding for some of the most deprived areas in the country is really, really good,” said Rachel.
Following the Budget, several mentioned the removing the “two-child limit” on Universal Credit and lifting 450,000 children out of poverty. However, several were sceptical as to whether this was an expression of the values of the government, or a concession to rebellious backbenchers. There were also points of disagreement with the Budget. One staffer described the rise in student loan payments as “a kick in the teeth.” None of the staffers felt the Budget would do anything to change the fortunes of the government overall.
“Only the biggest frustration with myself, and most of the staff is, is just the incompetence, or just the lack of politics coming out of number 10,” said Peter. He said they only get a day’s notice at best of a big announcement out of government, leaving staff in a spin. “You’re then scrambling around trying to work, to get the background for the stories, do the press releases, to try to make a big deal out of it,” Peter said, “they’re not giving the MPs the chance to tell the story for them.”
“Every week there’s a new horrible Reform-esque policy announcement ministers are eventually forced to row back on, putting into question what vision this government actually has for this country and what it is they want to achieve by 2029,” Amy said.
Some of the staffers were already planning to leave their roles, irrespective of what was happening, whereas others were thinking about whether to carry on. Rachel is considering leaving their role, depending on what happens at the May elections and the leadership of the Labour Party. “Somebody like Andy Burnham would be the person we need. I think he’s one of the only people at the top of the party that could connect with the electorate in the way we need to at the minute.”
The hardest worry to reckon with is that any progress the government achieves will be wiped out by a Farage-led Reform government. Amy said, “What I’m fearful of is that, while the government takes slow, and in my view, ineffective, approaches to fixing the many disasters left behind by the Tories, Brexit, and the pandemic, they will be outrun by populists on the right and the left.”
[Further reading: Starmer stumbles over Reeves rumble]
*Names have been changed in order to protect the anonymity of interviewees
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