Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has disclosed that he won’t work ’24/7′ if he wins the election this week and becomes Prime Minister. Starmer believes that spending time with his children – he has a son and a daughter – makes him a better politician. Starmer says he plans to continue his habit of having ‘protected time for the kids’ every Friday, arguing it would make him better at his job. What else did we glean about the Labour leader’s idea of a standard office day in Downing Street? Apparently, he will not do a work related thing after 6pm in pretty much any circumstances.
It is a fascinating and revealing insight into Starmer’s thinking about the job
‘I don’t believe in the theory that you’re a better decision maker if you don’t allow yourself the space to be a dad and have fun with your kids,’ he told Virgin Radio. ‘Actually it helps me. It takes me away from the pressure, it relaxes me and I think actually, not only is it that what I want to do as a dad, it is better.’
It is a fascinating and revealing insight into Starmer’s thinking about the job. It even sounds vaguely sensible and normal: plenty of hard-working people who are parents may well find themselves nodding in agreement. Who doesn’t want to escape the perpetual demands of the office and working life, and enjoy more quality time with their children? The only problem with this line of thinking is that leading the country isn’t a normal 9-5 job. Decisions are required day and night, and the demands all-consuming and relentless.
Starmer’s idea of what is required of him in Downing Street is in marked contrast to Rishi Sunak, who has made a virtue of his punishing schedule in his relatively short time in office. Sunak gives the impression of burning the midnight oil, poring over policy papers and spreadsheets. In fact, Sunak resembles Gordon Brown, another prime minister who was keen to signal an appetite to work all hours of the day in Downing Street, with a relentless focus on policy wonk issues. This didn’t stop voters from calling time on Brown’s short reign in Downing Street in 2010. Sunak looks likely to meet the same fate this week.
The most obvious contrast of course is with Margaret Thatcher, who displayed a ferocious appetite for hard work. Sir John Coles, who served as her private secretary for foreign and defence affairs from 1981-1984, pointed out that her working day began whenever she woke up. Evenings were often taken up with dinners or other engagements. When there was a gap she would begin work on her red boxes, and could continue until midnight or beyond.
Not all former leaders of the country can match Thatcher in this regard. David Cameron was famous for ‘chillaxing’ because of his reportedly laid-back attitude to weekends at Chequers. He made much of his ability to ‘switch off’ from politics – which perhaps explains his misreading of the public mood when it came to the Brexit referendum.
The problem with Starmer’s ideas about work-life balance in Downing Street is that the demands of office are unpredictable and relentless. A leader has to be on call 24/7 to deal with any and every emergency, making decisions that only he or she can. Prime ministers often find that once they are in office they are much less powerful than they imagined and it is only through determination and eternal vigilance that they can enact change. A Whitehall machine that thinks the person running the shop in Downing Street is off duty on certain days or clocking off at 6pm will quickly adapt and do likewise.
It was Roy Jenkins who once observed that the first attribute of a successful prime minister is not a first-class mind, but a first-class temperament. Jenkins was only partially right. What is required most of all in a prime minister is the desire and ability to work day and night to solve the problems facing the country. What is most curious about Starmer’s comments is that he isn’t even in Downing Street yet: why go for the top job if you’re not that keen on the endless hours? Starmer will find out soon enough that the role cannot be performed – and certainly not properly – on a part-time basis.
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