Enda Brady: UK correspondent on Prime Minister Starmer sidelining Rachel Reeves

There's been some reshuffling in Prime Minister Keir Starmer's team, and it's got experts speculating what it means for Rachel Reeves.

With Labour losing favour in the polls to Reform, there's additional pressure on Starmer to make changes, according to new reports.

UK correspondent Enda Brady says the economy is 'flatlining' - and it's prompted concerns. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In the Brady UK Correspondents with us Hello, Inda.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Hey, Heather, good to speak to you again.

Speaker 1 (00:04):
So do you think the Prime Minister is undermining Rachel Reeves?

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Look, I think he had to do something because the
agenda is not being set by him, and the feeling
was that while he's being the international statesman and traveling
around and seeing Trump and meeting Zelenski and doing all
the kind of stuff that formerly big name British prime
ministers used to do, the domestic agenda has been neglected
and I think that is a reflection in everything we've

(00:31):
seen in the last twelve to twenty four hours. He's
not undermining her. I think it's just he's fighting for
his own corner because the agenda is being set by
Nigel Faraj and Starmer absolutely has to stop that.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
But how could. I mean, she must feel undermind if
you're going to have three economic advisors coming and what
she do the budget there hardly says a lot about
the confidence the Prime minister has in you, does it?

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah? Look, we need growth, that's the first thing here.
Every prime Minie comes in saying we will grow the economy.
I can do all the voices of the last ten
Prime ministers the same speech. It never seems to happen.
And look, they thought they were on to a winner,
having a politician who had worked in the Bank of England.
It's not working out. The economy is flatlining. I think

(01:16):
the real issue at the heart of this government is
communication starmar. This has gone under the radar. Yesterday they
actually booted out their head of Strategic comes, James Lyons,
out of Downing Street. Yesterday he's out. Another guy's coming in.
It's a communication issue at the heart of this government.
And look, I often get asked to advise politicians, governments

(01:37):
and big business about communication, and it is I always
say to them when we start off, it's six words.
Know your audience, know your message. And I don't think
Starmer knows either at the moment.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
Yeah, good point. And speaking of reform, I mean reforms
running rings around them on the migrants, aren't they.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Yes, And a new policy today to try and start
making some inroads on this. So as it stands, anyone
who's granted asylum in the UK can immediately put in
for family members to come join them. And this has
been happening over and over again. Forty one thousand people
applied for asylum here in the last twelve months under
Starmer's watch as Prime Minister, and as it stands right now,

(02:18):
those people can all say I've got a partner, we've
got children, my mother needs help, all come to the UK.
So the system is clearly being exploited. So what they're
doing now is a temporary ban on family members coming
to the UK while they look at making permanent legislation.
They're also going to look at the whole issue of
student visas because a lot of people are coming here

(02:40):
in a student visa from countries like Nigeria and Pakistan
with no intention of going back.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Interesting. Now, do you think you're going to see the
Northern lights? Finally?

Speaker 2 (02:50):
Ah, I do hope so, because I've spent an awful
lot of money and an awful lot of time traveling
to the Arctic over the last decade and a half
to try and see them. I've been to Northern Sweden twice.
I've been to Norway Northern Norway twice, I've been to Iceland,
and on every single occasion i've gone to see the
Northern lights, I've had someone say, oh, it's a bad

(03:12):
week to see the lights, and it hasn't happened, so
would you believe it? They popped up in England last night.
I kid you not see North Yorkshire. No, we live
in Oxfordshire and I was inside watching soccer on TV.
So tonight tonight I'm gonna I'm gonna absolutely make sure
I go for a little jog or a walk or

(03:33):
something as soon as the sun goes down. Apparently there
has been a geomagnetic storm that will affect our weather
system tonight and the Northern Lights could be visible in
the south of England. So watch this space and that,
you know.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Look through your phone, put your phone up and look
through it. It makes it, It makes a bit like
it's not it's not it's not. It's not like a
modern thing, like a modern joke. It actually you can
see it bit of that way.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Oh well, look I'm excited. But it just goes to
show you that, you know, some things are meant to be.
I'm told they look stunning, they look amazing. Let's see.

Speaker 1 (04:11):
I'll have to see it to believe it. Thank you
in the look after yourself and best luck that that's
into Brady, a UK correspondent.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
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