Whitehall is erupting this evening as No10 goes into ‘full bunker mode’ over fears of a plot to oust Starmer as PM. The flashpoint is the upcoming Budget, which Labour MPs fear will make the government even more unpopular…
Labour chronicler Patrick Maguire, followed by Guardian pol ed Pippa Crerar, first reported an “extraordinary operation” to protect Starmer – a No10 briefing stating that Starmer would fight any attempt to oust him and would resist a leadership challenge. The briefing stated the now familiar No10 Line that the markets prefer Starmer and Reeves…
The main fear in No10 tonight is of a move from Wes Streeting’s camp. Streeting has long been considered the most plausible Cabinet challenger…
It will be an awkward morning round for Streeting tomorrow as he discusses a) a gridded NHS announcement and b) the campaign by No10 to flush out any potential candidacy.
One pro-Starmer source tells Guido: “Wes has done it so loudly it’s become the talk of Westminster, a lot of the PLP was contacted.”
Now Guido can reveal that the No10 attempt to ‘smoke out’ the Streeting plot was hastened by fears of a move against Starmer while he is out of the country. Guido had chronicled Starmer’s extraordinary air miles – a habit complained about in Cabinet. The upcoming G20 this month is flagged by Whitehall sources as a potential opportunity for any Budget related move against Starmer…
One Starmer-sceptical government source tells Guido: “It’s all very febrile, it’s likely the rebels will back down. There is no obvious process or person to coalesce around. We all still think May is the danger zone but the day after the budget and the PLP reaction is key.”
A move by the Cabinet is the only realistic path to ousting Starmer given his huge majority and control of Labour’s NEC. It sounds like No10 is preparing to fight any such attempt…
