The Labour Party secured a massive majority in the general election, but the honeymoon has been cut short by leaked WhatsApp messages and a rapid slip in the polls. On The Rest Is Politics, Rory Stewart analyzed the leaked WhatsApp messages suggesting internal party friction, calling it a "very unique glimpse into the private thoughts of people that we've never had before".
While the headlines focus on internal drama, Alastair Campbell argued that the government is quietly delivering on its promises without getting the credit. He pointed to "several train companies that are now in public ownership as promised" and the UK winning its court case against Rwanda. However, Cat Neelan warned that as "the shine wears off the Labour government", Reform UK is gaining ground.
Beyond the immediate Westminster bubble, hosts are looking at where the party's real power lies. On The Rest Is Money, Robert Peston argued that Andy Burnham "is certainly the most popular Labour politician" in the country. Meanwhile, The Rest Is History host Dominic Sandbrook took a longer view, tracing the party's lineage back to Clement Attlee, who served as "the incarnation of kind of buttoned-up dignity".