Maurice Glasman: how the progressives killed Labour | Part one
From Quite right! by The Spectator
May 19, 2026 · 30 min
About this episode
Maurice Glasman discusses the disconnect between the Labour Party and the working class, critiquing progressive liberalism and Keir Starmer's leadership.
Maurice Glasman, Labour peer and founder of Blue Labour, has spent years warning that Labour has lost touch with the people it was created to represent. In the first of a two-part conversation on Quite right! , he joins Michael and Maddie to explain why he thinks Keir Starmer’s project was never really Labour at all – and why the party’s working-class traditions have been replaced by progressive liberalism. They discuss Labour’s roots in community, sovereignty and the dignity of work; how Brexit exposed the divide between Labour and liberalism; and whether Starmer’s response to Southport marked a turning point. Maurice also sets out what a genuinely Labour government might have done differently on immigration, welfare, industrial strategy, defence and AI – and why Reform’s rise should not come as a surprise. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more. For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts . Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Hosts: Michael, Maddie
Guest: Maurice Glasman
Topics covered
- Labour Party
- progressive liberalism
- working-class traditions
- Brexit
- immigration
- industrial strategy
- AI
Keywords
- Labour
- progressives
- community
- sovereignty
- dignity of work
- Brexit
- immigration
- industrial strategy
- defence
- AI
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Labour, Blue Labour, Reform, Spectator, Acast
More episodes of Quite right!
- Brexit 10 years on – have we changed our minds? · June 11, 2026 · 19 min
- ‘It will be a bloodbath’ – why Starmer won’t go quietly · June 9, 2026 · 30 min
- ‘DEI mindset is killing people’ – Henry Nowak & Britain’s two-tier policing crisis · June 2, 2026 · 38 min
- When was Britain’s finest hour? – and how to beat Burnham · May 28, 2026 · 33 min
- Peter Murrell's mafia-style SNP – and inside the Reform-Restore feud · May 26, 2026 · 50 min
- If Burnham loses Makerfield, Labour is finished – Maurice Glasman | Part two · May 21, 2026 · 28 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Quite right! podcast page.