Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
Sep 11, 2026 · 45 min · 10 segments
The Housing Secretary joins Nick for the first episode of a new series of Political Thinking. Angela Rayner talks about the change of character, personality and politics in Downing Street under new…
Angela RaynerGuest
Nick RobinsonHost
Now, you've talked in a way about how Andy Burnham is able to articulate values in a way that Keir Starmer wasn't.
What else went wrong, though? Because when Morgan McSweeney, Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer, was in that chair talking on political thinking...
He basically confirmed what lots of people had said, which he had a plan to win the election, but not a plan for how to run government.
And I think you could see that in the legislation that came forward and where we were able to forge ahead.
You know, many of the policies and the legislation that I set in train within the first few weeks and months of the government are now starting to their acts of parliament and are starting to come through that will make a real difference to people's lives.
civil servant.
And you have to be very clear eyed and focused on where you want to take the country and what you want to do.
And he kind of drilled into me this preparation of you're not going to get the world that you want.
But you're going to have to try and shape that in the way that you're clear-eyed about what your goals are as well as dealing with the sidewinds.
When I talk to civil servants about you, they say Angela Rayner knows what she wants, right? And they're often contrasting you with ministers in the past where they're not quite sure what they want and they get buffeted about.
Now, you've talked in a way about how Andy Burnham is able to articulate values in a way that Keir Starmer wasn't.
What else went wrong, though? Because when Morgan McSweeney, Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer, was in that chair talking on political thinking...
He basically confirmed what lots of people had said, which he had a plan to win the election, but not a plan for how to run government.
And I think you could see that in the legislation that came forward and where we were able to forge ahead.
You know, many of the policies and the legislation that I set in train within the first few weeks and months of the government are now starting to their acts of parliament and are starting to come through that will make a real difference to people's lives.
civil servant.
And you have to be very clear eyed and focused on where you want to take the country and what you want to do.
And he kind of drilled into me this preparation of you're not going to get the world that you want.
But you're going to have to try and shape that in the way that you're clear-eyed about what your goals are as well as dealing with the sidewinds.
When I talk to civil servants about you, they say Angela Rayner knows what she wants, right? And they're often contrasting you with ministers in the past where they're not quite sure what they want and they get buffeted about.
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