Cabinet ministers have warned mutinous Labour MPs that any attempt to oust Sir Keir Starmer after potentially disastrous local election results would unleash chaos for the party. Several ministers told the Guardian that while the mood on the backbenches is febrile, they would discourage a coup now, though they do not expect Starmer to lead the party into the next election.
Labour faces losing more than 1,500 council seats across England, a struggle for second place in Scotland, and the prospect of losing Wales after a century of domination. This has left thousands of angry local politicians who see themselves as victims of the government's unpopularity.
Before heading to their constituencies, MPs were gripped by speculation over Starmer's future, with Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting, and Andy Burnham seen as likely successors. Some have argued Starmer should set out a timetable for his departure, and a group of cabinet ministers might be prepared to tell him his time is up if the results are as bad as predicted.
However, the appetite inside the cabinet for a leadership contest is severely limited. One minister said, 'We have a role to play and we’ll certainly not want chaos. That’s not in anybody’s interests.' Another indicated there was no group in the cabinet planning to move collectively, and a third added, 'I don’t want new leaders, plots, pacts, talk of orderly transitions which shut out the public.'
A fourth minister said only Starmer would decide when he stood down, noting he is 'in no mood to be pushed around by colleagues.' Several warned of unintended consequences, with one stating, 'Those of us who are sane don’t really want a leadership contest or a timetable for Keir’s departure that undermines the party’s position, but we recognise that when the mood is febrile things can kick off.'
Downing Street has made clear that Starmer would fight any attempt to oust him, with allies saying any putative rivals should think carefully about the instability any challenge would cause. Writing in the Observer, Starmer urged the party to rise to the moment together, rather than sink into political infighting.
