Keir Starmer shouldn’t be out of the hazard zone – this is what’s coming subsequent

Keir Starmer came out fighting yesterday after facing the most serious challenge to his leadership since being elected – but the battle for stability is far from over

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Keir Starmer came out fighting yesterday after facing the most serious challenge to his leadership since being elected.

In a bombshell move, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar broke ranks to call for him to stand down. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband admitted the PM faced a “moment of peril” as he battled to save his premiership. But the PM was rescued by his Cabinet ministers, who one by one voiced their public support for Mr Starmer.

But the battle for stability is far from over. The release of documents related to the Peter Mandelson scandal threaten to overshadow the work of Government and trigger yet more rows. And Mr Starmer also faces tough battles at the ballot box in the coming months, with a by-election and May elections on the horizon.

Mr Starmer might be out of the immediate danger zone and remains PM for another day. But what happens next for the embattled PM?

READ MORE: Bullish Keir Starmer’s eight-word vow to MPs after top Labour figure calls on him to QUIT

1. What happens next?

A defiant Keir Starmer issued a fighting response at Monday night’s meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP), telling a packed room in Westminster: “I’ve won every fight I’ve ever been in.” The PM said he was “not prepared to walk away”.

Next, Mr Starmer must face his Cabinet. The PM’s most senior ministers will gather this morning for their weekly meeting, where the PM must kickstart his reset of Government. Mr Starmer last night admitted to MPs that the Government needs to change course. MPs are furious over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as Ambassador to the US but the PM acknowledged the anger over other serious mistakes too, such as the winter fuel cuts.

It is now up to Mr Starmer to show MPs and ministers that he has listened and he has learnt. Disappointment and frustration with the Government has been brewing for some time – with rows over freebies and a rebellion over welfare cuts. The PM has been given a lifeline to change direction and he must prove to MPs he is doing so.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer faced moment of doom – then MPs had a major realisation

2. What challenges does the PM face next?

While Mr Starmer will be hoping to put this saga behind him, he can be sure that opposition parties will be wanting the opposite.

Kemi Badenoch – who has piled pressure on the PM to resign – is out and about on a visit today, where she’ll speak to broadcasters about the row. And of course, the Conservative leader is likely to seize on any vulnerability.

Meanwhile, Nigel Farage yesterday declared that he was putting Reform “on a general election war footing”. The Reform leader suggested a general election could come sooner than 2027, as he tried to stir the pot further.

Elsewhere, Mr Starmer has promised to publish documents relating to his appointment as US ambassador, which are believed to run to the tens of thousands. But he is being forced to wait until he can release them due to an ongoing police investigation. Their awaited release threatens to overshadow the work of the Government – and to trigger the Lord Mandelson rows all over again.

3. If PM has survived, is he out of the danger zone?

In short, no. The PM faces two testing electoral battles in the coming months.

First up is a by-election in Gorton and Denton. Previously a safe Labour seat, a vicious battle between Labour, the Green Party and Reform UK is now kicking off on the ground. A catastrophic result for the PM could again trigger calls for him to resign. As one Labour MP remarked last week: “If we are hammered in Gorton and Denton, then it’ll be it (for Starmer). If we come third, it’ll be it. I can’t believe I’m saying that.”

And the local elections in May, as well as elections in Scotland and Wales, are another hurdle for Mr Starmer. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar is facing a tough set of Holyrood elections in May – a likely reason he broke ranks yesterday to call on him to resign.

Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan was yesterday criticised over not swiftly backing Mr Starmer publicly. She finally threw her weight behind Mr Starmer on Tuesday. She said she supported him but added: “Ultimately, I judge any Prime Minister by a simple test: whether they deliver for Wales. I have been clear with Keir about what Wales needs. Action on the cost of living, investment in our economy and infrastructure, and a continued commitment to stronger devolution.”

If Scotland and Wales both suffer a mauling in May, Mr Starmer may have questions to answer.

4. What’s the latest on who could succeed the PM?

Health Secretary Wes Streeting – who has long been seen as a leadership hopeful – again came under pressure over challenges to the PM. Yesterday, he was forced to reject claims that Mr Sarwar’s intervention was a co-ordinated move with him.

And Mr Streeting faced a Lord Mandelson row of his own. Last night he resorted to publishing private messages with the disgraced peer as he hit out at “smears and innuendo” over his friendship with him. But the messages have now raised questions about a divided Cabinet after they showed Mr Streeting criticising the Government for having “no growth strategy at all”.

Meanwhile, Angela Rayner – another mooted successor – last night claimed there had been a “a crass false flag operation” launched to undermine her after a report emerged that a leadership campaign website in her name went live in January. Her team said the site was fake and she was seeking legal advice over the way her name and image had been used.