Sir Keir Starmer’s Government has been appalling when it comes to communications. It has been a hallmark of the PM’s administration ever since he entered Downing Street.

The poor communications strategy has seen it fritter away the honeymoon period that Labour ought to have enjoyed after securing a huge majority at the 2024 general election. Instead it is headed towards electoral oblivion.

Nothing quite epitomises this poor communications strategy than the timing of the announcement from the Prime Minister yesterday that British Steel could be nationalised using new powers to protect the industry and workers in Scunthorpe.

Given that for weeks it has looked like Labour was heading for a disastrous result in the local elections, it is unfathomable why the Government would sit on such a policy announcement until the damage was done.

A steel worker at one of the blast furnaces at the British Steel site in Scunthorpe last year. PIC: Darren Staples/PA Wire

placeholder image — A steel worker at one of the blast furnaces at the British Steel site in Scunthorpe last year. PIC: Darren Staples/PA Wire

On the face of it, an announcement protecting jobs in the industry and ensuring Britain’s national security is not left exposed would have been widely welcomed. It may just have limited some of the damage that Labour suffered last Thursday.

British Steel is going to be critical to delivering the national infrastructure projects that the region needs.

The Prime Minister made the announcement as part of his attempts to reset his stuttering premiership. The PM’s admission that the Government has “made mistakes” is to be welcomed.

While the steel announcement shows that the Government does have policy ideas, it has been poor at communicating them to the general public.