Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has warned that rivals seeking to challenge Sir Keir Starmer's Labour leadership should 'give their head a gentle wobble', dismissing speculation about a bid to unseat the Prime Minister.
Cabinet minister backs Starmer
Speaking on Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme, Ms Alexander said Sir Keir is 'the best person' to lead the country through a period of international volatility. She urged Labour not to become a 'self-indulgent debating society' while global tensions escalate.
'I don't think the public would thank us if the Labour Party turned into some sort of self-indulgent debating society when there are pockets of the world that feel like they are going to hell in a handcart at the moment,' she said.
Her comments follow reports that Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has a plan to return to Westminster 'within weeks' and challenge the Prime Minister. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is also rumoured to be considering a leadership move.
Starmer's call for unity
In an article for The Observer, Sir Keir urged his party to avoid repeating the Conservative Party's mistake of 'descending into political infighting'. He wrote: '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.'
Ms Alexander echoed this sentiment, adding: 'I think those people who think that we should have a leadership election now and repeat the mistakes that the Conservative government made in churning through prime ministers probably do need to give their head a gentle wobble.'
The Prime Minister's allies stress that he remains focused on delivering for the British people, with a leadership contest seen as a distraction amid global instability.
