‘Keir Starmer has quite a lot of p***ed off and disillusioned MPs – and we’re coming for him’

Keir Starmer has been warned he has a lot of “p***ed off” and “disillusioned” backbenchers and risks losing voters on the left.

The two co-leaders of the Green Party accused the PM of making “inept” decisions which have alienated left-wing Labour MPs. In an interview with The Mirror, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay said they are poised to pick up voters they claim Labour is leaving behind.

Speaking in their office in Richmond House on the Parliamentary estate, they accused Mr Starmer of taking the country in the wrong direction. They charged Mr Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves with targeting pensioners rather than considering a wealth tax on a mega-rich.

Mr Ramsay said: “It’s incredible how much Labour has stumbled at its first six months. From the early announcements around winter fuel and not being able to reverse the two child benefit cap, we’ve just had so many different policies – whether it’s on public services, poverty and inequality, on climate – that they’re not willing to take the action that’s actually needed.

“Indeed, some of the policies are taking us further in the wrong direction. So I think there are a lot of people who are looking for a real change and who are tired of the two old parties.”

And Ms Denyer said Mr Starmer risks hemorrhaging traditional Labour voters after his first few months in power. She said: “I think that the writing was already on the wall before the election, and that’s probably contributes to why we saw record support for the Greens.

“But I think that pattern is continuing now because millions of people voted for Labour because they wanted change but they’re getting anything but.”

The Bristol Central MP pointed to the Government’s failure to support the Climate and Nature Bill last month – which aimed to make environmental targets legally binding – as an example. “I imagine there’s probably quite a lot of fairly p***ed off Labour backbenchers around the government’s actions,” she said.

And Mr Ramsay added that the decision to allow a third runway at Heathrow is another issue causing worrying rumblings for the PM. “It’s definitely not the only example, but it’s a symbol of Labour just not taking its environmental commitments seriously.

“I think that there will be a lot of disillusioned Labour MPs, just as there are on the winter fuel allowance and, failure to act for Waspi women and plenty of other things.”

The Greens currently have four MPs, but both co-leaders believe that can rise dramatically in 2029. Asked whether Labour defectors would have a safe place in her party, Ms Denyer said: “My focus is on what we can achieve with this team of Green MPs.

“And I’m thinking about the next general election as well, because of course we came second in 40 constituencies across England and Wales. So there is a a real chance of getting a significantly larger parliamentary green party next time around.”

The Greens have long called for a wealth tax on those with assets worth over £10million. Those with this sum would pay 1% and anyone worth over £1billion would pay 2% per year under the Green proposals.

Ms Denyer said it was “maddeningly frustrating” that Ms Reeves did not pull this lever rather than target winter fuel payments. And Mr Ramsay said: “I was just astonished that they changed that, mainly because of the effect that will have on pensioners, but also just politically it’s inept, it’s a relatively small amount of money in the grand scheme of things.

“Why choose that option when there are other options? Not least we have the ones that have been arguing all the way through the general election for being willing to ask the very wealthiest in society to pay a bit more in taxes.”

Ms Denyer added: “That’s why it’s been so absolutely, maddeningly frustrating. Over and over again, they say that there are no alternatives. And there are, they are just refusing to consider them.”

The two believe there has been a sea change that will see Labour and the Tories’ dominance on British politics slip away in 2029. New polling suggests Nigel Farage’s Reform UK have overtaken both parties among voters.

Mr Ramsay said: “One of the things happening in British politics is that we’re moving away from the old two party system and people are looking for alternatives

“And there’s one alternative being offered in the form of Reform, but they’re trying to whip up hatred and division in society. We are offering a positive alternative that actually focuses on the real situation that so many people are struggling to make ends meet.”