Don’t ‘swipe left’ on Keir Starmer in elections aftermath, Labour MPs advised
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said a change of leadership would not fix the problems facing the country, and cautioned against Tory-style chopping and changing
Keir Starmer hits the phones ahead of Thursday’s local elections(Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
An ally of Keir Starmer has warned Labour MPs against “swiping left” on the Prime Minister as nerves mount in Downing Street ahead of the local elections.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said a leadership challenge would not fix the problems facing the country, and cautioned against Tory-style chopping and changing. He said Mr Starmer would fight attempts to oust him as he urged MPs to stand firm.
Mr McFadden told LBC: “I think that the country has tested to destruction the idea that the answer to our problems is swiping left on the choice of Prime Minister. It’s happened quite a lot in recent years. It hasn’t resolved our problems, and I don’t think it would resolve our problems today, and I’m not alone in that opinion.
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“John Major, the former prime minister, spoke out the other day. He said Britain has changed its Prime Minister too much in recent years. I know our Prime Minister. He is dedicated to public service. He came into office to do a job. He will keep doing that job right through this week and in the weeks to come, and he will do that with my support.”
It comes as millions of voters prepare to cast their ballots on Thursday in momentous elections across England, Wales and Scotland. The contests mark Labour’s biggest electoral test since its landslide win in 2024 – and could prove pivotal in determining Mr Starmer’s future.
Pollsters have predicted that Labour could shed hundreds of councillors in England, lose control in Wales and fall well short of victory in Scotland, in a nightmare set of results. Labour tensions could boil over in the aftermath, and the PM’s allies are ramping up efforts to see off a challenge to the PM.
Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting have been tipped as contenders for the top job but both appear reluctant to wield the knife. Andy Burnham has spoken openly of his leadership ambitions but he is not an MP – barring him from standing in a contest.
In an article for the Mirror, the Prime Minister said: “Politics is about choices. The choices that affect you and your family. On Thursday, when you go to put your vote in the ballot box, there’s a clear choice on that piece of paper.
“Unity or division. Progress versus the politics of anger. The right plan for our country up against easy answers that will lead us nowhere.” He added: “Farage, Badenoch and Polanski have proven they cannot meet this moment. But my Labour Government is.”
