Panic in No10! Starmer ‘Goes to War’ with His Own Party
Keir Starmer will fight any leadership challenge from Labour MPs, allies of the Prime Minister warned on Tuesday evening.
With fears of a major backlash following the Budget in a fortnight, friends of Sir Keir are said to be concerned about the possibility of MPs beginning to manoeuvre for the top job.
Among those touted as replacements are Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is seen as a rising star in the Labour Party.
One minister told the BBC that the Prime Minister ‘will fight this’.
They added: ‘He is one of only two people alive who have won a general election for Labour. It’d be madness to run against him after 17 months.’
One minister who believes Sir Keir should stay until the next election says the PM is at mercy of ‘feral’ Labour MPs from the 2024 intake.
Sir Keir is aware of the growing threat to his position and is ‘already fighting the leadership election’ by reaching out to Labour backbenchers, according to The Times.
The Prime Minister has reportedly told ministers that any attempted coup would destabilise Britain’s standing on the financial markets and its relationship with foreign governments.
Other names said to be in contention are Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, and backbenchers including the former transport secretary Louise Haigh.
Among those touted as replacements are Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who is seen as a rising star in the Labour Party.
Another Labour source said: ‘The list of reasons for people to move after the Budget are growing by the day.
‘If Wes is brave and moves he may well be rewarded by being prime minister by Christmas.’
But a spokesman for Mr Streeting said the claims were ‘categorically untrue’.
The spokesman added: ‘Wes’s focus has entirely been on cutting waiting lists for the first time in 15 years, recruiting 2,500 more GPs, and rebuilding the NHS that saved his life.’
Critics have warned that Downing Street was ‘in full bunker mode’ which ‘won’t help the Government out of the hole we’re in’.
A source said No 10 was ‘turning on their most loyal Cabinet members for absolutely no reason’.
‘Unfortunately there is a pattern of Keir’s team briefing against his own people… now it’s Wes’s turn,’ the source added.
