Taken As Red : The Truth About Starmer’s Labour

Published 05/06/2025 | Paperback / softback,
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How Labour took power and what they’re doing with it

‘Taken As Red stands out for its balance and the depth of its reporting’ The Guardian

‘Revelatory and insightful.’ Tim Shipman

In Taken As Red acclaimed political journalist Anushka Asthana takes us behind the scenes in the corridors of power to explain how and why Labour won office, and how their transformative and tumultuous first year in government has unfolded.

Starmer’s government swept to power promising transformation — tackling energy reform, housing shortages, and workers’ rights. But these ambitions swiftly collided with harsh economic realities, internal party dissent, and an increasingly polarized political climate. Number 10’s attempts to maintain public trust while navigating a series of global crises have been under the microscope from day one.

Providing an unprecedented insider’s perspective on the inner workings of the government, Asthana tracks the origins of Starmerism, and its key architect Morgan McSweeney, back to the mid-noughties to show how the Prime Minister’s approach to campaigning and to governing was arrived at over many years of careful calibration and ruthless decision-making.

With exclusive insights from the key players, Asthana unpacks the pivotal decisions, strained personal relationships and unexpected headwinds that have defined Labour in government. From the battle bus to Cabinet table, Asthana analyses just who wields power in the corridors of Downing Street, and what to expect in the years ahead.

Lively, analytical and compelling, Taken As Red reveals the calculated gambles and innovative strategies at play, and the people behind them. And in doing so, it looks forward as well as back.