A senior Cabinet minister rushed to defend Sir Keir Starmer today after the Prime Minister was likened to an "HR manager, not a leader."

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper asserted that Sir Keir has a "real determination to change the country" when questioned about remarks from a new book.

Extracts from Get In, authored by political journalists Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund, disclose that the PM’s own chief of staff once cast doubt on his leadership abilities.

According to the book, Morgan McSweeney told a friend early in Sir Keir’s tenure as Labour leader that he "acts like an HR manager, not a leader."

An ally of McSweeney reportedly suggested that "Keir's not driving the train," implying he lacked control over the party. In reference to London’s driverless Docklands Light Railway, they added: "He thinks he's driving the train, but we've sat him at the front of the DLR."

The book also claims that Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, once confided via text that she was unsure who was in charge of the party.

"It could not be Starmer," she allegedly said, because "he was incapable of running a bath—never mind the Opposition."

Asked about these claims, published in The Sunday Times, Ms. Cooper defended the Prime Minister on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program.

"I think what you see with Keir Starmer is a real determination to change the country," she said.

She highlighted his Plan for Change, which includes six key objectives such as Labour’s commitment to building 1.5 million homes in England, achieving at least 95% clean energy by 2030, and ensuring that 92% of NHS patients in England wait no longer than 18 weeks for planned procedures.

Ms. Cooper added: "Do you know what I think he stands for most? Respect, hard work, and making the country work for working people."

A Downing Street source dismissed the book’s claims, suggesting that "a bunch of anonymous briefings" should not be taken seriously.

The book also reveals that Mr. McSweeney privately worried Sir Keir "might be too timid" but acknowledged that he was "very bright" and "not completely unpolitical."

Former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair also reportedly expressed doubts about Starmer’s political instincts.

In 2021, he was said to have told a friend: "I’m in two minds about Keir.

"The plus side is he's intelligent, decent. He’s not Ed Miliband or Neil Kinnock. He’s not a nutcase like GB [Gordon Brown].

"But he's not John Smith, either—I mean, he's like John Smith, but without his class... He's essentially a London human rights lawyer who's out of touch with the people.

"He’s perceived as an overly polished, lawyer-like figure. Too soft, not tough enough, inexperienced."

Mr. McSweeney, who managed Labour’s general election campaign, was promoted to Sir Keir’s chief of staff in October last year after Sue Gray was dismissed.

His appointment followed weeks of speculation about internal power struggles within Downing Street among Starmer’s senior aides.

McSweeney previously led Starmer’s successful campaign to succeed Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in 2020.

The book’s publication risks reigniting tensions within Labour and among key Cabinet ministers.

It also details an early-stage comparison between Sir Keir and Ms. Rayner, reportedly made by McSweeney.

He allegedly told a friend: "Keir’s very bright and learns quickly. He’s not completely unpolitical—he has some understanding of maneuvering.

"But not like these people. Angela is political all the time, constantly manipulating. All of her allies come from Unite.

"Keir doesn’t realize these are people he cannot do business with."