A key ally of Sir Keir Starmer has signalled that the Prime Minister may be on the verge of setting a timetable for his departure, as the pressure on his leadership intensifies following disastrous local election results.
Darren Jones Refuses to Rule Out Leadership Change
Darren Jones, a senior figure in the Labour Party, declined to confirm that Sir Keir would lead the party into the next general election. Speaking to Sky News, he stated: 'I'm not going to get ahead of any decision that the Prime Minister may or may not take.' This remark comes after a wave of public calls for Starmer's resignation from around 80 MPs and the departure of five ministerial aides.
Mr Jones, who was deployed by Downing Street to face the media this morning, added: 'I spoke to the Prime Minister last night, as you would expect, and he, as you would also expect, is talking to colleagues who have raised issues yesterday. But he was also very clear, as I'm sure all of my colleagues are, that coming into the office this morning, as we all are doing, we're absolutely focused on our jobs, on delivering the things that we promise to deliver for the public.'
Cabinet Tensions and Succession Speculation
The Prime Minister's grip on power appears to be slipping, with Cabinet members privately urging him to make a graceful exit. Among those who have resigned is Joe Morris, an aide to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who is widely seen as the Blairite candidate to replace Sir Keir. The MP in the seat adjacent to Morris's in east London has also joined the rebellion, fuelling concerns on the Left that Mr Streeting is orchestrating a coup.
Sir Keir is expected to confront his senior team at the weekly Cabinet meeting this morning, which could prove to be a critical moment for his leadership. The decision by five ministerial aides to step down—including Tom Rutland, Sally Jameson, Naushabah Khan, and Melanie Ward—appears to be part of a coordinated move against the Prime Minister. Ms Ward, previously an aide to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, has called for a 'rapid process for the election' of a new leader.
The Battle for Control
The timetable for appointing a new Prime Minister has emerged as the key issue, with Blairites and the hard Left vying for control of the party. The latter group favours a delay to allow Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to win a by-election and return to the Commons. In contrast, Wes Streeting would be the favourite if the contest is resolved quickly.
Mr Jones urged unity, saying: 'All I would say is that the vast majority of us are focused on using the time we have in government to be able to deliver the types of change for people across the country that we're also passionate about delivering, but that we have to work together then as a party in this new political era of five-party politics, of the rise of populist parties in our country, to be able to set the course for winning that next election.'
