Sir Keir Starmer‘s woes deepened further today after the so-called ‘Bible of the Left’ appeared to turn on him.
In a remarkable cover story, this week’s edition of the New Statesman political magazine asks whether the Prime Minister realises ‘how much trouble he’s in’.
The astonishing 2,500-article details the ‘mutinous talk’ within Labour ranks as Sir Keir faces claims of plots against his leadership after just 16 months in office.
The magazine notes how, among Labour MPs and behind their leader’s back, there is ‘widespread mockery, sarcasm, name-calling and the darkest of gallows humour’.
It also includes fresh briefings against Sir Keir, including withering assessments of his performance as PM from Labour insiders.
One aide tells the Left-leaning publication: ‘He doesn’t understand politics or the Labour Party, he doesn’t have a vision, he’s a terrible communicator.
‘We’ve always known these things about him, but we put up with it when we were doing OK against the Tories.’
It comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting was forced to deny he is plotting to oust Sir Keir from Downing Street.
In a remarkable cover story, this week’s edition of the New Statesman political magazine asks whether the Prime Minister realises ‘how much trouble he’s in’
The astonishing 2,500-article details the ‘mutinous talk’ within Labour ranks as Sir Keir Starmer faces claims of plots against his leadership after just 16 months in office
Mr Streeting responded to a flurry of late-night briefings from within No10, in which allies of the PM came out fighting on Sir Keir’s behalf.
There is growing speculation at Westminster that Sir Keir’s position could be under threat after the Budget in two weeks’ time, when fresh tax hikes are expected.
Both the PM and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have refused to rule out breaking Labour’s manifesto commitment not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT.
This has sparked fears of a fresh hit to Labour’s poll ratings, if more voters turn against the party for breaching one of their main pre-election pledges.
In a series of TV and radio interviews on Wednesday, Mr Streeting attacked whoever was responsible for the rumours about a Labour leadership challenge.
He suggested they had been ‘watching too much Celebrity Traitors’ and called for Sir Keir to sack whoever was responsible for the briefings.
The late-night briefing was reported to have come as part of a ploy to put down several senior Labour figures who were said to be ‘on manoeuvres’ to topple Sir Keir.
No10 singled out Mr Streeting to warn off other potential leadership challenges from senior Labour figures including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, it was claimed.
Allies of Sir Keir also vowed to face down any coup attempt and fight any Labour leadership contest.
Mr Streeting said the briefings had ‘vindicated’ calls from Labour’s new deputy leader Lucy Powell for a change in ‘culture’ in Downing Street.
In the New Statesman article, Labour MPs express fresh despair at Sir Keir’s leadership.
‘He’s squandering the opportunity of a generation,’ one said, in reference to Labour’s landslide general election win last year.
They added: ‘We might not be in power again for decades.’
Another MP hit out at what they viewed as another blunder by the PM after he travelled to Brazil for the COP30 climate summit last week but then refused to pay in to the conference’s flagship deforestation fund.
‘We are haemorrhaging votes to the Greens. The least we could do is just plant some f***ing trees,’ they said.