Sir Keir Starmer is set for a showdown with his Cabinet after at least four members of his top team urged him to resign. The prime minister is facing the biggest crisis of his premiership after several senior ministers, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, have told him to set out a timetable to step down ahead of their crunch weekly meeting on Tuesday, The Independent understands.
Wes Streeting Coup Speculation
It comes amid mounting speculation that Health Secretary Wes Streeting is planning to launch a coup against Sir Keir after several of his allies quit the government and called for the prime minister to resign. Mr Streeting’s camp is remaining silent, but Labour sources have told The Independent that the health secretary is now expected to launch a leadership bid on Tuesday.
On Monday, Sir Keir said his party would “be better and do better” and described Labour’s local election results as “tough”, but pressure is mounting on him to resign or set out a timeline for his departure. More than 80 Labour MPs are now calling for a change of leadership.
Darren Jones Dubs Burnham Return 'Fantasy Politics'
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones said “there’s a lot of fantasy politics going on” when asked about the possibility of Andy Burnham returning to the Cabinet. Responding to BBC Breakfast, he said: “There’s a lot of fantasy politics going on at the moment, Keir Starmer won a historic majority less than two years ago at the ballot box alongside all of us in the Labour Party.” He added that being prime minister “is a gruelling job” and “our job in Cabinet is to support the prime minister to deliver on his ambitions for the country, but also to enable him to do his job as well as possible”.
Analysis: Jones' Muted Performance a Death Knell for Starmer
Darren Jones is normally Sir Keir Starmer's main cheerleader, but his broadcast round on Tuesday was notably muted. He admitted he “is sad” more than five times in thirty seconds, refused to say whether he thinks the PM will lead Labour into the next election, and declined to answer when asked if Sir Keir should quit. If that was the best the government had to offer for morale-boosting, it’s not looking good for Starmer.
Minister Suggests Starmer Preparing to Set Out Departure Timetable
Darren Jones suggested Sir Keir Starmer is preparing to set out a timetable for his departure, insisting he is “talking and listening” to colleagues who have called for him to go. On Times Radio, he said: “The prime minister is talking to colleagues, obviously a number of them have said publicly yesterday that they want him to take a particular course of action. As any leader would, he's talking and listening to those colleagues. I can't get ahead of what the prime minister may or may not decide.”
Asked directly whether Sir Keir is considering setting out a timetable to step down before the next election, Mr Jones said: “He's listening to colleagues and he's talking to colleagues. As I say, I can't get ahead of any decision he may or may not take... It's for the prime minister to decide what he may or may not want to do in the future.”
Minister Denies Starmer's Job Is 'Up for Grabs'
Darren Jones denied the prime minister’s job is “up for grabs” as he defended Sir Keir this morning. On Times Radio, he said: “No, and look, the vast majority of members of the Parliamentary Labour Party, of ministers, of members of the cabinet, are focused on getting to the office today and getting on with the job that we were elected to do.” He added: “It’s a gruelling job. I think anybody who thinks that they can just walk into the job of prime minister and, like the second coming of the Messiah, fix all of our problems probably hasn’t really thought carefully enough about how difficult it is.”
Minister Declines to Say Whether Starmer Should Quit
Cabinet minister Darren Jones declined to say whether he thinks Sir Keir Starmer should resign, insisting he won't “get into private conversations”. On Sky News, he said: “Now, look, I'm not going to get into private conversations of other Cabinet colleagues. I wouldn't have been in the room for a number of them. I'd say at the front of my mind is that we're getting up and getting on with the job, because I think it's a dereliction of duty to do anything otherwise. And politics is a team sport. Politics is hard.”
'I'm a Bit Sad to Be Honest', Says Minister
Darren Jones said he is “a bit sad” when asked about the situation in government. He told Sky News: “I'm a bit sad, to be honest, because I'm sad that we're in this situation in the first place. I'm sad about the election results last Thursday, when we lost many brilliant colleagues across the country, some of whom have served their local communities for many decades. So I'm sad that my team, my party has ended up with a poor set of results, and I'm sad that a number of colleagues yesterday have felt the need to have this conversation in public, as opposed to internally, within the party.”
Minister Refuses to Say Whether Starmer Will Lead Labour into Next Election
Darren Jones declined to say whether Sir Keir Starmer will lead Labour into the next election, saying he won't “get ahead of any decision” from the PM. He told Sky News: “I’m not going to get ahead of any decision the PM may or may not take. He was very clear yesterday that he will not be walking away, as some of my colleagues have asked him to do. We've got over 400 Labour MPs in the House of Commons. I don't belittle the I think now 70 who have raised concerns publicly.” He added: “The prime minister is getting on with the job... Obviously, colleagues are asking the prime minister to consider different options in the future, and as I say, he rightfully is listening to them. It would be wrong if he wasn't listening to them.”
How Would a Leadership Challenge Work?
Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership is on the brink this morning as a growing number of his own MPs call on him to stand down. But even if those calls were successful, there is no clear successor to the prime minister, meaning a leadership contest would be likely. Speculation is rife regarding the ambitions of his former deputy, Angela Rayner, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Yet, Ms Rayner awaits the outcome of a review into her tax affairs, and Mr Burnham is not currently an MP.
Which Labour MPs Want Starmer to Quit?
The number of Sir Keir Starmer’s own MPs who want the prime minister to stand down has now surpassed 70. These include Catherine West, who over the weekend said she would begin gathering names of those who have lost faith in the prime minister. Also asking Sir Keir to set out a timetable for his resignation are Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and veteran Labour MP Graham Stringer. However, Labour have 403 MPs in the House of Commons, meaning only around one sixth of them have currently made their dissatisfaction public.
