John McTernan

London

Commentator and Contributor at Freelance

Strategist and commentator. Formerly Tony Blair's Political Secretary and Julia Gillard's Comms Director. No 2, PR Influencer Index.

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Articles

Why Labour shouldn’t shift right

1 month ago | newstatesman.com | John McTernan

For every political problem, there is always an answer that is simple, obvious and wrong. In the case of Labour’s disappointing results in these elections – losing Runcorn and 198 council seats, reportedly double what party strategists had expected – the wrong response would be a panicked government reshuffle and a policy shift to the right. Political defeats are chastening but they can be instructive if they are analysed properly.
Support for Reform has surged – what does this mean for UK politics? Our panel responds | John McTernan, Carys Ofoko, Caroline Lucas and Peter Kellner

1 month ago | theguardian.com | John McTernan |Carys Afoko |Caroline Lucas |Peter Kellner

Now it’s clear: Reform is the new party of the rightJohn McTernanFormer political secretary to Tony Blair and current political strategist for BCWTwo-party politics is back. The election results declared so far this morning show that the future of British politics is a fight between two main parties – Labour and Reform UK. The opinion polls were right: Nigel Farage is the leader of the right in Britain.
The warfare state needs the welfare state

Mar 26, 2025 | newstatesman.com | John McTernan

Keir Starmer has plenty of time to govern before the next election – for some perspective, there have to be two Australian federal elections and one US presidential election before the next general election has to be held here. That means on 5 July 2028 Starmer will probably be the prime minister who celebrates the 80th anniversary of the founding of the NHS. The NHS, like the modern system of social security, was the product of wartime thinking.
Look out for a Reform of the Left. It could finally shatter British politics

Mar 10, 2025 | yahoo.com | John McTernan

The UK Labour Party has twice had to learn the hard way that it has enemies to the Left in British politics. The first time was in the 1980s when the Militant Tendency were a party within a party tolerated for so long that they famously gained control of Liverpool Council and had three MPs in 1987 – as many as the Scottish National party had at that time.
Look out for a Reform of the Left. It could finally shatter British politics

Mar 10, 2025 | telegraph.co.uk | John McTernan
John Prescott never pulled his punches

Nov 21, 2024 | unherd.com | John McTernan

“Every leader needs a John Prescott,” Tony Blair liked to say of his deputy. “I couldn’t have made all the changes I made, and needed to make, in the Labour Party without the support of John.”He was right. One of the earliest attempted Cabinet revolts of the New Labour period was over the Millennium Dome.
Alex Salmond's failed populism

Oct 13, 2024 | unherd.com | John McTernan

In the end, Alex Salmondâs was a career of failure â not in the cliched use of Enoch Powellâs aphorism but in the absolute terms of failing to achieve his specific and declared political ambition. Alex â he was a âfirst name politicianâ for most of his career â never achieved the independence for Scotland that was his lifelong political dream.
Morgan McSweeney is the new Peter Mandelson

Oct 7, 2024 | spectator.com.au | John McTernan

It’s an iron law of politics that when the staffer becomes the story they have to go. Dominic Cummings had to leave Boris Johnson, and Theresa May’s joint chiefs Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy both took the blame for the disastrous 2017 election result. The reshuffle resolves a perplexing political questionLobby journalists leaving Liverpool at the end of Labour conference had concluded that Sue Gray would have to leave the role of as chief of staff to Keir Starmer.
Morgan McSweeney is the new Peter Mandelson

Oct 7, 2024 | spectator.co.uk | John McTernan

It’s an iron law of politics that when the staffer becomes the story they have to go. Dominic Cummings had to leave Boris Johnson, and Theresa May’s joint chiefs Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy both took the blame for the disastrous 2017 election result. Lobby journalists leaving Liverpool at the end of Labour conference had concluded that Sue Gray would have to leave the role of as chief of staff to Keir Starmer. Yet her resignation yesterday came as a surprise.
Starmer and Reeves must articulate the government’s purpose

Sep 21, 2024 | ft.com | John McTernan

The writer is a political strategist at Burson and former political secretary to Tony Blair As the Labour party heads to its conference —...