Purnell became linked with the Blue Labour movement within the Labour Party and in April 2011 he was appointed by the Boston Consulting Group as a Special Advisor to their Public Sector Group. In July 2011, he appeared on "Newsnight" with proposals for welfare reforms, as part of his involvement in Blue Labour. He called for a National Salary Insurance, a job guarantee and free universal childcare, but also said that "freebies" such as Winter Fuel Allowance and free bus passes should not become sacred. He did not rule out returning to Parliament in 2015, but declared his support for Ed Miliband and his leadership.