British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s allies have said he will fight any attempt to undermine his position, which could happen very soon, the BBC writes.
Politicians loyal to Starmer believe there is reason to worry that the prime minister’s position could be threatened very soon, possibly after the budget announcement, which is expected in the next two weeks. Critics have said it is evidence that Downing Street has become entrenched and will not help get the government out of the hole it is in. Meanwhile, Starmer’s supporters are worried that a coup is being planned to replace the prime minister.
Among those being discussed as possible replacements for Starmer are some of his closest cabinet allies, notably Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. There is also talk of the ambitions of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
One minister has said that Starmer is one of only two politicians alive to have led Labour to victory in the election, and it would be madness to stand against him after just 17 months. However, polls show that Starmer is extremely unpopular, perhaps the most unpopular British prime minister since polling began. Polls also show that Labour currently enjoys the support of just a fifth of voters.
Replacing Starmer, however, will not be easy.
Under Labour rules, a 20% majority of MPs is required to nominate another candidate, which currently means 81 votes. Many Labour members have been acknowledging for months that the party is at a tipping point. Labour is expected to do badly in the local elections, but some in the party believe it should not wait until then to change its leader.
Downing Street is well aware of the inevitability of the threat. One Labour MP told the BBC that it was easy to say that we should wait for the local elections, but these are his people at stake and he cannot afford to lose his councillors. Another MP said that the reasons for change were piling up, and added that if Streeting was brave enough, he could be prime minister by Christmas. It is Streeting’s ambitions that seem particularly suspicious to Starmer’s closest allies. A spokesman for Streeting told the BBC that all the talk was false. Streeting was currently fully engaged in reforms to Britain’s healthcare system to improve its accessibility and quality.
Labour spokesman Maurice Glasman told the BBC that he saw no candidate capable of replacing Starmer, and that all talk of a leadership change was just background noise. Asked about Mahmood’s possible candidacy to solve the Labour Party’s problems, Glasman replied that she certainly had all the necessary qualities, but the minister had her own work to do. He added that he supported Starmer and did not support his replacement.
Starmer’s supporters have pointed out that Labour must be careful with what they wish for.
A leadership change could plunge the party into chaos. Starmer’s replacement could also cause instability in international markets and jeopardize the relationship the Prime Minister has built with US President Donald Trump. Others, including some ministers, are speaking of the government’s desperate position. One minister said the situation was dire and that no one liked Starmer.
Another minister who supports Starmer said there were those who saw a choice between a Labour government and perfection, and the closer they could push Labour to their own ideal of perfection, the happier they would be. “But the choice isn’t between us and perfection, it’s between us and Reform,” the minister said.
The rise of the populist Reform Party, led by Nigel Farage, has been one of the issues that has been particularly preoccupied in Downing Street in recent months. Starmer believes he can stand up to Farage and prevent a populist victory in the general election.
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