Prime Minister Keir Starmer will face MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday (12 November) after a series of briefs went out to the media indicating that he is ready to fight off challenges to his leadership.
The Guardian reports that Downing Street has launched an ‘extraordinary operation’ to protect Starmer amid fears among the prime minister’s closest allies that he is vulnerable to a leadership challenge in the wake of the budget.
Starmer’s most senior political aides warned that any attempt to oust the prime minister over tanking poll ratings would be a “reckless” and “dangerous” move that could destabilise the markets, international relationships, and the Labour Party.
Allies of the prime minister told The Times that he would not resign in the event of an attempt to remove him and would contest a leadership contest triggered by his MPs. Health Secretary Wes Streeting was forced on Tuesday night to deny rumours — believed by some in Starmer’s inner circle — that he was among the plotters.
Starmer faced a mini-revolt in September as figures in Labour raised concerns about the judgment of the Prime Minister, who lost his deputy-leader, Angela Rayner, and was forced to fire the US Ambassador Peter Mandelson in the space of a week.
Several backbenchers directly questioned Mandelson’s appointment on social media and Starmer’s perceived poor judgment in appointing him.
Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester who is widely tipped to run again for the party leadership, said Sir Keir had questions to answer.
“I wasn’t privy to the vetting process, so I don’t know what was known at the time, and I think people will want to question that now in the hours and days ahead.”
Last week, his government was embarrassed by the news that it had inadvertently released an illegal immigrant and convicted sex offender from jail just months into his term.
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