In a dramatic political development, Green Party leader Zack Polanski has declared he is seriously considering a direct challenge to unseat Prime Minister Keir Starmer from the House of Commons at the next general election.
Taking Down the Prime Minister
The self-described 'eco-populist' made the startling revelation during an appearance on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, stating it would be 'very tempting to take Keir Starmer down' by confronting the Labour leader in his north London constituency. Mr Polanski, who has confirmed he will 'absolutely' attempt to become an MP at the next election by standing in a London seat, didn't stop there.
He expanded his political ambitions, adding: 'I'm tempted to take on any Labour MP that's a disaster. And ultimately replace them with a better MP who will stand for people and planet, rather than vested interests.'
This bold declaration comes as a recent poll indicates Labour is currently on course to lose Holborn and St Pancras, the constituency Sir Keir has represented since 2015, to the Greens, signalling potential vulnerability for the Prime Minister in his own backyard.
Internal Labour Crisis Deepens
The threat to Sir Keir's political future doesn't only come from external opponents. A separate Survation poll conducted for the LabourList website has revealed devastating news for the Prime Minister from within his own party's ranks.
The survey of Labour members found that Sir Keir would lose a head-to-head leadership contest against four different rivals, including his former deputy Angela Rayner. The polling data presents a grim picture for the current leader:
- Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham would defeat Sir Keir by a massive 26-point margin (58% to 32%)
- Former deputy leader Angela Rayner would win by a 19-point margin (52% to 33%)
- Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former leader Ed Miliband both held slight advantages over Sir Keir within the margin of error
Perhaps most concerning for the Prime Minister's team is that more than half of Labour members (54%) believe there should be a new party leader in place before the next general election. This sentiment extends to his own supporters, with 41% of those who backed him in the 2020 leadership contest now wanting change.
Leadership Challenges and Parliamentary Hurdles
The path to challenging Sir Keir isn't straightforward for his potential rivals. Emma Burnell, editor of LabourList, highlighted the significant obstacles facing the leading contenders.
Andy Burnham would first need to become an MP before being eligible to challenge for the Labour leadership under party rules. In a dramatic development last week, rebel Labour MP Clive Lewis offered to give up his Norwich South seat to facilitate Mr Burnham's return to Westminster.
Meanwhile, Angela Rayner faces her own challenges following her admission that she didn't pay enough tax when buying a new flat, which forced her to resign as Labour deputy leader, deputy PM and Housing Secretary in September.
Ms Burnell noted: 'Starmer's team have made it clear that he would contest a leadership contest were one to arise. However, the two leading contenders to Starmer both face significant challenges.'
She added that if no obvious candidate emerges who can definitively beat him, Sir Keir might feel more secure in his position, despite the troubling polling numbers.
This convergence of external pressure from the Greens and internal discontent within Labour creates one of the most challenging political environments for Sir Keir Starmer since he became Prime Minister, setting the stage for a potentially explosive pre-election period.
