Labour’s authenticity problem: What Wes Streeting says it can learn from Mamdani

Read time: 3 minutes

In brief:

• Wes Streeting has praised Zohran Mamdani’s New York mayoral election victory as proof that “authenticity is the most powerful currency in politics,” urging progressives to learn from it.
• The News Agents say that Mamandi’s campaign featured clear messaging and unapologetic values, in sharp contrast to Labour on the week that Rachel Reeves gave no clear messaging in her pre-budget speech.
• Streeting insists that the party isn’t trying to triangulate between the threat posed by Reform and the threat posed by the Greens and that Labour must “set out our own store based on our own values”

What’s the story?

Wes Streeting was one of the first politicians out the traps to congratulate Zohran Mamdani on his New York City mayoral election win.

Posting on X, the Health secretary called it an “inspirational campaign” and one that had “lessons for progressives the world over”.

Joining The News Agents shortly after the result, Streeting set out what he believed those lessons were: authenticity, hope over fear, and what he called a “ruthlessly disciplined” focus on the cost of living.

“Authenticity is the most powerful currency in politics,” he told Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel. “At the moment, I think there's such a lack of trust in politics and politicians that that authenticity that he showed throughout the campaign, really, really matters.”

Streeting’s reflections come as Labour faces a steep slide in the polls just 18 months after entering government.

Only 19% say they would vote Labour if a general election were held tomorrow, compared with 27% for Reform. And the threat isn’t just from the right: under Zack Polanski, the Greens are now only a point behind Labour.

If authenticity wins elections, could Labour’s lack of it explain its current woes?

Labour’s authenticity problem

Love him or loathe him, Mamdani leaves no doubt about where he stands — politically, morally or through his policies.

But the contrast with Labour’s approach at home is hard to miss, take Rachel Reeves’s recent pre-budget speech - billed as a major economic moment.

It ran for over 40 minutes but offered few concrete answers to the question everyone wanted addressed: would taxes rise? Reeves refused to confirm or deny it, leaving voters none the wiser.

“Is that authentic?” Emily asks.

“Whatever the faults of Donald Trump, you look at Truth Social and think: I’m getting the real guy. And with Mamdani, I’m getting the real guy - he’s telling me what he thinks.,” Jon adds.

Streeting acknowledges that the government needs to “do better” at communicating its values, admitting there are too many images of “government buildings” on its social media channels and not enough of the prime minister engaging directly with people.

He said it was “irritating” that voters don’t see more of that side of Keir Starmer:

“He’s really comfortable around people, enjoys their company, and you can tell through those interactions that he genuinely cares.”That sense of realness, of letting voters see the person behind the message, is something Labour still struggles to convey. “I don’t think anyone doubts that Keir Starmer cares,” Emily says, “but if you asked what he felt, or what drives him - it’s hard to know.”

Are Labour pandering to Reform and the Greens?

Mamdani’s victory, built on a clear left-wing platform and unapologetic values, is a refreshing change to the kind of cautious Labour politics that often tries to appeal to everyone at once.

Jon suggests that Labour’s communication feels like it’s “trying to triangulate between the threat posed by Reform and the threat posed by the Greens.”

The result, he adds, is messaging that “just sounds so laboured.”

Streeting agreed that the party must “set out our own store based on our own values” rather than mimic rivals on either side.

“If you’re stuck in neutral, you’re not going anywhere, by definition,” he says.

That doesn’t mean, he added, that Labour can’t agree with Reform on some issues - for instance, that net migration is too high - but it should do so from a values-based position.

“We’re over-reliant on recruiting health and care workers from countries on the World Health Organisation’s red list because they have severe shortages,” he said. “I think it’s immoral that we’re poaching. Let’s invest in the skills and training of our own people instead.”

He called that “a centre-left, authentic argument for reducing net migration” - one that contrasts sharply with the rhetoric of some Conservatives.

Referring to Katie Lam, a Tory MP touted as a rising star, he added: “People are writing her up as the future of the Conservative Party. Well, God help us if she is - her argument was about cultural coherence.”

Would Wes Streeting make a good Prime Minister?

In the spirit of authenticity, Emily asks Streeting directly: “Do you think you would make a good Prime Minister?”

“What would your authentic self say to that?” she poses.

“I’m very happy being Health Secretary, thank you very much,” he replied - by all counts, a cautious - and indirect - answer.

“Am I giving an answer that helps my own side and what we want to achieve, or an answer that rocks the boat and breeds instability?” Streeting says.

“Frankly, I saw a bit too much of that in the run up to the Labor Party Conference,” he adds, referring to Manchester MP Andy Burnham’s short-lived attempt to challenge the leadership.

“The Prime Minister's got a bloody difficult job, and he needs his team rowing in behind him, not rocking the boat.”

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