Prime Minister Keir Starmer is so unpopular that he is now reportedly on alert to challenges to his leadership from within his own party. In fact, his allies are warning that he will fight all challenges to his leadership even though no challenges have been openly made at this point.
Downing Street has launched an extraordinary operation to protect Keir Starmer amid fears among the prime minister’s closest allies that he is vulnerable to a leadership challenge in the wake of the budget.
Starmer’s most senior political aides warned that any attempt to oust the prime minister over tanking poll ratings would be a “reckless” and “dangerous” move that could destabilise the markets, international relationships and the Labour party.
They insisted that Starmer would fight to retain the leadership in any contest that followed a challenge, either immediately after the budget or, more plausibly, following defeat at the May local elections…
In a sign of how anxious some in No 10 have become over Starmer’s position, senior figures said they had been told that Streeting had 50 frontbenchers willing to stand down if the budget landed badly and the prime minister did not go.
Some headlines are calling this a “leadership coup” which could be timed for the next budget in two weeks. Who exactly might enact this coup is unclear, but the Labour Party’s current Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, was the focus of many of the rumours. Today, Streeting was forced to deny that he has any plans to seek Starmer’s job.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has denied plotting a coup to oust Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer amid reports that the Prime Minister’s job could be under threat.
A spokesman for Mr Streeting insisted he was entirely focused on his job as Health Secretary.
The unexpected briefing war which emerged on Tuesday night, November 11, appeared to be an attempt to shore up Sir Keir’s position by No 10 insiders.
The vagueness of the plot against Starmer has some seeing the response as an overreaction.
Critics say it is evidence that Downing Street is “in full bunker mode” which “won’t help the government out of the hole we’re in.”…
Those names being discussed by Labour MPs as potential candidates to displace Sir Keir include some of his closest cabinet allies, especially Wes Streeting, the health secretary, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
Some also speculate about the ambitions of Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, and backbenchers including the former transport secretary Louise Haigh.
As strange as it seems, Starmer’s allies probably are on to something. His party is not happy with him or with their position in the polls. There is a growing sense that something needs to be done sooner rather than later.
For months now, plenty in the Labour Party have acknowledged that the government faces a likely crunch point after devolved elections in Scotland and Wales and local elections in many parts of England next May.
Labour is widely expected to do badly in those elections, but there are growing concerns from some in the party that it can’t wait until then to contemplate a change of leader…
One senior Labour MP told us: “It’s all very well to say wait for the locals, but that’s my activist base I’m sending into the gunfire. I can’t lose all my councillors.”
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.”
The backdrop here is that the Reform UK party is expected to do well in the next elections. If Labour wants to do something to avoid that, a change of leadership may be necessary even if Keir Starmer vows to fight it. Polls show Starmer is not very popular, even within his own party he’s barely cracking 50 percent.
A survey conducted by Opinium found more than half of the public – 56 per cent – think the Prime Minister should quit, with just 26 per cent wanting Sir Keir to stay in post.
Labour voters have also turned on the Prime Minister since the General Election, with a third now wanting Sir Keir to leave No10 and just 52 per cent supporting the Holborn & St Pancras MP.
We may not have to wait much longer to find out if there is a real challenge from within his party.
Editor’s Note: After more than 40 days of screwing Americans, a few Dems have finally caved. The Schumer Shutdown was never about principle—just inflicting pain for political points.
Help us report the truth about the Schumer Shutdown. Use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your VIP membership.
