Keir Starmer begged Labour MPs not to 'sink into the politics of division' today amid claims Wes Streeting is poised to quit. The Prime Minister delivered the stark message alongside the King's Speech, with questions raging over whether he will remain in No10 long enough to implement the legislative programme.
Streeting's Meeting and Absence
The Health Secretary is said to have told allies that he is ready to trigger a leadership challenge as soon as tomorrow, after a brutal 16-minute meeting with Sir Keir in Downing Street this morning. Mr Streeting was notably absent from the frontbench in the Commons as MPs awaited the monarch's arrival, with Sir Keir flanked by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Rachel Reeves. He later appeared standing by the Speaker's chair and filed through to the Lords to watch the Speech next to Tory James Cleverly.
The King's Speech Package
The package of 35 Bills and several draft Bills includes moves to strengthen ties with the EU and boost the push for Net Zero. However, there is no fresh attempt to curb benefits spending after mutinous MPs crashed the last one. There is only a passing mention of 'sustained' defence spending increases, with no timetable for publishing the long-awaited investment plan. Questions have also been raised over the lack of references to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's settlement rights overhaul, which has infuriated many of Sir Keir's critics.
Key Measures Announced
- An EU Partnership Bill would give ministers sweeping powers to adopt Brussels rules without Commons voting.
- A Peerages Removal Bill could see Peter Mandelson targeted to have his title formally taken away.
- The Government has again committed to a 'conversion practices' Bill, but only as a draft rather than full legislation.
- Net Zero measures feature heavily, a win for Ed Miliband, seen as a key powerbroker in the Labour leadership struggle.
Political Turmoil
A grim-faced Wes Streeting walked out of Downing Street this morning after a meeting with Sir Keir that lasted just 16 minutes. The premier has come under fire for putting the King in a difficult position, having to conduct the State Opening amid a full-blown Labour civil war. The Speech was scheduled as a 'firebreak' following local elections, but the tactic has failed to subdue fury at the drubbing. Sir Keir had a showdown with Mr Streeting, believed to be behind the insurrection, but they seemingly found no common ground.
Starmer's Message
In his introduction to the Speech package, Sir Keir played up global 'volatility' with wars in Iran and Ukraine causing chaos. The PM, who has warned that his ousting would fuel market turmoil, promised to 'continue our work to stabilise the economy and support people with the cost of living'. Delivering a message to his own restive MPs, Sir Keir said: 'At moments like these, we face a choice. We can choose to sink into the politics of grievance and division. Or we can choose to see it as an opportunity to deliver on the change we promised the British people.'
He said the Government would end defence 'austerity' and 'stand strong with Nato', despite tensions with Donald Trump. But Sir Keir only said ministers will 'push ahead' with the Defence Investment Plan, without revealing when. He added that there was now 'greater urgency' for change, including 'setting a new direction for Britain at the next EU summit' and 'putting Britain at the heart of Europe'.
Leadership Challenges
The brevity of Mr Streeting's meeting sparked speculation that there was no meeting of minds over his coup attempt. The PM's allies dismissed the discussion as a 'quick cup of coffee', jibing that Mr Streeting does not have the numbers or the 'nerve' to challenge. The party's union paymasters released a joint statement calling for a more Left-wing agenda, saying: '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.'
Ominously for Sir Keir, the next batch of Mandelson documents is due to be released as early as next week. Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner are both circling as the question of who will succeed Sir Keir dominates MPs' discussions. High drama at Westminster yesterday saw four Labour ministers resign, saying they no longer had confidence in the premier. The number of Labour MPs calling for him to go rose to 90, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was forced to deny she is on the brink of quitting after telling the PM to set out a timetable for his departure.
