In the narrow window of time set by us excitable lobby journalists, the push to topple Keir Starmer failed when the sun set on Westminster yesterday: there was no “big beast” resignation from the cabinet and no leadership challenge launched.
The PM stood firm, telling cabinet to back him or sack him, and insouciantly started replacing the various parliamentary private secretaries and junior ministers who resigned yesterday in an effort to pressure him to go. The consensus of commentary vertiginously changed once again. It was not the end – perhaps Starmer had seen off the challenge.
But just as it was premature to say a challenge was make or break yesterday, it would be equally premature to say that he is safe. The King’s Speech today, in which the Labour government’s agenda for the next parliamentary session will be set out, has created an interlude in which all sides think it is polite to stay quiet.
The PM had a brief meeting with Wes Streeting this morning at No 10 but both sides are keeping schtum about what was said. We will have to wait until Thursday to see if there is a more concerted push from the ambitious Health Secretary, who is due to make a media intervention that day anyway because the NHS’s latest waiting-list data is being released.
An extra day could allow Streeting to get his ducks in a row. Note that his natural supporters on the right of the party are not yet united behind the idea of challenging Starmer right now – many of their names appeared in an open letter signed by 110 MPs yesterday pledging support for the Prime Minister.
The most damning development for Starmer’s long-term prospects was a statement from Labour’s 11 affiliated unions this morning. They declared: “It’s clear that the Prime Minister will not lead Labour into the next election, and at some stage a plan will have to be put in place for the election of a new leader.”
That’s every union, from the left-wingers of Sharon Graham’s Unite through to the once reliably leadership-supporting moderates at Usdaw and Unison. This puncturing of the life raft will prove more significant than any ministerial resignation we have seen so far.
This piece first appeared in the Morning Call newsletter; receive it every morning by subscribing on Substack here
[Further reading: Inside the two dramatic days that nearly brought down Keir Starmer]
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