A Labour MP's call for a challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer 'by Monday' has been branded a reckless and shabby way to conduct the serious business of deciding who should lead the nation. Catherine West, the former minister launching a stalking-horse campaign, admits she does not know who she wants as prime minister, only that she wants a change.
"I don't have a candidate, and that's part of the problem," she told the BBC. Her solution is to issue an ultimatum to the cabinet: choose one of their number to replace Sir Keir, or she will try to trigger a leadership election on Monday by gathering nominations from 80 fellow Labour MPs.
Ms West's assault on the prime minister may fizzle out if she cannot secure the needed support, or it may succeed in forcing other more credible candidates to step forward. Either way, proceeding without an alternative prime minister in mind seems reckless at this precipitous moment for the government and the country.
Starmer's Response to the Electoral Message
Sir Keir responded to the electorate's message by drafting two respected figures from the party's recent past into Downing Street. Gordon Brown's authority as a former prime minister and long-serving chancellor should be reassuring at a time when the world economy is fragile, waiting for the effect of higher oil prices. Harriet Harman's return from her second career as a podcaster lends credibility to the government's drive to protect women and girls from violence.
Signs of Weakness
However, bringing in figures from outside the Commons in advisory roles rather than promoting new talent from within is a sign of weakness. The current cabinet is not the strongest possible, but Sir Keir apparently feels a reshuffle risks destabilising his position. Ms West's intervention may render that calculation redundant, but the prime minister has no choice but to press on.
He is right not to step down voluntarily, especially when the most likely winner of a Labour leadership election is Angela Rayner, his former deputy. While a characterful personality and interesting politician, her policies of higher public spending, more market regulation, and higher taxes are not suited to the coming economic storm. They point in the wrong direction for the markets that set interest rates and determine the cost of national debt.
A Lurch to the Left
A lurch to the left is the likely consequence of an early Labour leadership contest. Sir Keir was right to declare he would not be 'tacking right or left' in his article responding to the election losses. He should stay in post at least until someone comes along with a better plan that does not risk a market meltdown.
It makes sense to keep Rachel Reeves at the Treasury, reinforced by Gordon Brown's 'great clunking fist'. Ms Reeves may be co-author of many of this government's most serious mistakes, but most internal Labour pressure is to replace her with someone less fiscally responsible. The most alarming consequence of a new prime minister might be choosing Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, as chancellor.
If Ms West's misguided plan to install A.N. Other in No 10 fails, Sir Keir probably has one last chance over the next year to demonstrate he is protecting people from the instability threatening the world. As he attempts to do so, Gordon Brown is a good person to have by his side.
