When it comes to cabinet ministers warn mutinous mps about trying to oust keir starmer, cabinet ministers have warned Labour MPs that trying to remove Keir Starmer after Thursday's elections could plunge the party into chaos, as it faces losing more than 1,500 council seats across England and setbacks in Scotland and Wales. But some ministers doubt he'll lead Labour into the next general election.
Understanding Cabinet Ministers Warn Mutinous MPs About Trying To Oust Keir Starmer
Labour is bracing for a struggle for second place in Scotland and the possibility of losing Wales after a century of domination. Defeats would leave thousands of local politicians blaming the government's unpopularity for their losses, intensifying pressure from MPs who were already consumed by Leadership Speculation before returning to their constituencies last week. Originally reported by The Guardian.
Several cabinet ministers told the Guardian that Starmer's determination to remain in Downing Street might not contain the unrest. They described a febrile parliamentary party where events could spiral beyond anyone's control. Some believe his personal standing is too damaged to recover, even as they oppose an immediate challenge.
Some MPs want him to announce a departure timetable. Others have suggested cabinet ministers could tell him to go if the results across the country prove as bad as predicted. The distinction between opposing a coup now and expecting him to survive until the 2029 general election is stark.
Cabinet resists a collective move
Inside the cabinet, appetite for a contest remains limited, including among ministers who expect Starmer to leave before 2029. One said there was no group preparing a collective intervention; another wouldn't join resignations or a move against him, while acknowledging either could happen.
Ministers also rejected plots, pacts and supposedly orderly transitions that exclude the public. Their argument is that choosing another leader three years before the next election would be premature and wouldn't win voters' gratitude. Imposing a departure timetable could itself weaken Labour.
Another minister insisted only Starmer would decide when to stand down. He isn't inclined to be pushed around by colleagues, that minister said, and recognises the need to improve Labour's polling position.
The warnings reflect a shared fear of unintended consequences: cabinet ministers opposing efforts to oust Keir Starmer don't necessarily believe they can prevent a challenge if backbench anger erupts suddenly after the elections.
Rayner, Streeting and Burnham draw speculation
Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham are viewed as possible successors, although Burnham isn't eligible. Neither Rayner, the former deputy PM, nor Streeting, the health secretary, is thought likely to move first. Allies suggest they'd enter only after someone else triggered a contest.
Rayner still has to resolve her tax affairs. Members of Labour's national executive committee, which blocked Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton byelection in February, don't believe there's a route back to parliament for him, despite weekend reports.
Ed Miliband, the climate secretary, is regarded by colleagues as more likely to act as Burnham's kingmaker than seek the leadership himself. One friend said he was determined to stop Streeting becoming leader.
That leaves the succession debate without a clear first mover. Potential contenders are watching the same results that could determine whether cabinet resistance contains the unrest or merely delays it in Labour's ranks.
Downing Street prepares to fight back
Downing Street says Starmer would fight any attempt to oust him. Allies warn prospective rivals to weigh the instability a challenge would cause amid conflict and difficult economic headwinds.
They have also played down a reshuffle, which some regard as potentially more destabilising. Starmer would make changes only if post-election ministerial resignations left vacancies to fill, they suggested.
Writing in the Observer at the weekend, Keir Starmer said: "We have a choice. We could sink into the politics of grievance and division. Or we could rise to this moment - together - in a national effort that matches the scale of the threats and turbulence we face.
"When the nation rallied together to deal with Covid, the last government could have channelled that spirit to build a better nation. But instead, they descended into political infighting and let the country slump back to the old status quo. Not this time."
Thursday's vote will test whether those appeals for unity can hold Labour together, or whether losses turn leadership speculation into a confrontation Starmer has vowed to resist.
Originally reported by The Guardian. View original.