Donald RoyJust enough of them understood in the summer of 2024 - and one of them - #vidhyaalakeson - was in a position to act - to be able to prevent #shabanaMahmood , #jessphillips and #wesstreeting from sharing the fate of #thangamdebonaire and #jonathanashworth . There are some suggestions that their authority has increased - with the departure of #morganmcsweeney and others. Somebody there may even got round to reading the latest version of #thebritishelectionstudy!
I would have to say that the record of #vidhyaalakeson - who has been in that central team for some years - is rather encouraging. She did have the sense to recognise that a problem was developing with #muslim voters and the clout to get campaigning resources to constituencies where this mattered. Among others #shabanaMahmood and #wesstreeting owe their seats in the #houseofcommons to her possession of both authority and sense, Not sure that they would admit that though! 😀
Given that there are people in #Downingstreet with past connections to #Resolutionfoundation - most notably #vidhyaalakeson and #baronessshafik - there is at least some hope that note will be taken of this!
It is unlikely to be anyone else - if only because almost all the others have gone - other than #vidhyaalakeson . She however appears to have been cast into the classic female role of clearing up a series of messes that others have made through arrogance and carelessness. - starting with the haemorrhage of #muslim support for #labour in the run up to the 2024 General Election. #shabanaMahmood and #WesStreeting would have lost their seats without her redirection of resources.
It s remarkable just how many people around #starmer spent time at the #Resolutionfoundation - officially non-partisan and with a #conservative former minister - #davidwilletts - as its chair. #torstenbell , #minoucheshafik , #vidhyaalakeson are obvious examples but I must confess to having encountered #rachelreeves at a meeting organised by it a few years back. My impression was that they were particularly concerned at working age poverty and ready to increase tax if necessary!