Starmer said to be facing plots to oust him, as Labour welcomes back rebel MPs
Labour MPs are plotting to oust Sir Keir Starmer, reports suggest, even as the Prime Minister has welcomed rebellious backbenchers back into the fold.
The new intake of Labour parliamentarians are among those said to be discussing the mechanics of a future coup, according to the i Paper.
It comes amid despair about the party’s poll ratings and discontent that the UK Government may break Labour’s manifesto promise not to raise income tax.
At the same time, Labour has restored the whip to four MPs who led the charge in rebelling against the UK Government’s plans to reform benefits.
Neil Duncan-Jordan, Chris Hinchliff, Brian Leishman and Rachael Maskell had the whip suspended in July.
They are all understood to have returned to the Parliamentary Labour Party after discussions with chief whip Jonathan Reynolds on Friday.
More than 100 Labour MPs joined the rebels in threatening to block welfare reforms being spearheaded by ministers earlier this year, over fears they would harm people claiming disability benefits.
The three MPs, aside from York Central MP Ms Maskell, were first elected at last year’s election.
She told the PA news agency she was “Labour to the core and will always stand up for Labour values”, after having the whip restored.
“I am grateful that the whip has rightfully been restored and want to especially thank all those who have been so kind to me over the last few months,” Ms Maskell added.
The Prime Minister, who has been at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil this week, has found himself beset with a series of challenges on his return.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has apologised after being found by a probe to have “unknowingly” breached the governance code on public appointments.
She had failed to declare that she received £2,900 in donations from her pick to chair the new football watchdog.
Scrutiny
The Tories are also calling for Sir Keir to face further scrutiny from the UK Government’s ethics adviser, as he has also received donations from David Kogan.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy has meanwhile come under fire for how he dealt with the mistaken release of a prisoner from HMP Wandsworth in south west London.
The prisoner, 24-year-old Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, was returned to the jail on Friday.
But Mr Lammy has been criticised for his decision not to address the blunder when he appeared at Prime Minister’s Questions, despite having been briefed about it.
Lucy Powell, the newly elected Labour deputy leader, has meanwhile urged the UK Government not to raise taxes at the coming Budget, amid speculation Chancellor Rachel Reeves is plotting to hike income tax.
Breaking Labour’s manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT could damage “trust in politics”, Ms Powell warned.
Ahead of the November 26 Budget, Ms Reeves is reportedly planning to limit the amount of tax-free pension contributions earners can make.
According to The Times, the Chancellor plans to cap the amount of someone’s salary that can be sacrificed for extra pension contributions before national insurance contributions are incurred to £2,000 a year.
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Good riddance. Bad blood. Poor leadership.
It’s crystal clear that the vast majority of the public do not support Starmerism. If Labour want any chance of clawing it back over the next few years they’ll have to get rid of his front bench too. Starmer and his team haven’t realised they won last year because people wanted the Tories out, that’s it. He had the opportunity of the century and has completely ballsed it up. Being good at internal factional warfare and pointing out Boris Johnson’s and Liz Truss’ faults whilst in opposition doesn’t mean he’s a capable national leader, it turns out. Absolutely squandered it… Read more »
What the left-left could do is conspire with opposition parties, vote down the budget, trigger an election and gift power to Reform this year. Five years of proper fascism would show the centre what happens if they don’t implement a left-left programme that voters didn’t vote for.
I think that’s it in a nutshell.
Get rid of Glassman and McSweeny and pivot to the EU, and sack the chancellor and you have a chance. Farages Brexit killed the Tory party and did so much damage to the uk it will take time. There is a way out of it.
Yes but it must democratically done. Since it wasn’t in the manifesto they’ll need another vote. Ask the electorate to choose between rejoining the single market or abolishing retirement.
I’m no fan of Keir Starmer, but to oust him now would gift the next GE to Reform. He appears to have no political instincts resulting in some very poor decision making. Even so, the public voted for a centrist Labour Party, not a leftist one. With the Greens already taking the role of the Left, the Labour vote would collapse completely.
“Centrist” not the middle ground between Tory and Reform.
You mean like intervening in Tata and British Steel, or re-nationalising the railways, or setting up Green Energy?
I don’t recall having a GE when Teresa May was ousted. Nor when Boris was ousted, Or lettuce lady.
The usual 5 year term means the next GE has to be held before August 2029. Change of leader does not automatically trigger a General Election. Changing horses mid-term just confuses the voting public who’s interest in politics is low to start with and feeds into a Reform narrative.
You fair to mention that Starmer was elected on the lowest turnout in living memory for a General Election.Only elected because people had enough of 14 years of the Tories yet Starmer has turned out to be the most disliked PM of all time.
That’s just a consequence of FPTP. If you don’t like the results you need to change the voting system not blame those that successfully jumped through the hoops it creates. Did you back AV in 2011 or are you part of the reason FPTP still exists?
Well be careful what you wish for,If you want Farage as PM then yes go for AV but don’t come on here crying about Reform and Farage like Many do on this forum.
Yes, no time for people who stay at home rather than exercise their democratic right. They can vote for Mickey Mouse, but they surely should turn up. For me, Margaret Thatcher was where it all went horribly wrong.
I do agree,voter apathy was the biggest winner in the last GE.If The Monster Ravin Looney Party were on the ballot paper with only the Tories and Starmers Labour then yes the Loonies would have got my vote. I lived through Thatcher and even though I wasn’t a fan at least you knew where you were with Maggie. Starmer on the other hand cannot be trusted with the number of times he’s been caught out not telling the truth.I have never ever known of a PM who’s name has been subject to abusive chants at Football and Darts Matches. Today… Read more »
Not surprised. But there are not obvious successors. Corbyn and johnson (for the Tories) gutted the parties of major talent. I’m afraid they head off to private sector now.. whoever does succeed starmer still has all the same problems and no obvious or easy solutions
Yes, the talent pool has shrunk. And if we’re left with the self-righteous and self-interested, the reality remains.
I agree. Starmer has undoubtedly blown it; but his critics in the PLP are those who shy away from anything approaching difficult. They are politically and economically inept.
I suspect that he’ll be safe until the Welsh and Scottish parliament elections and the various English local government polls in May next year. If Labour somehow manages to come through those elections without too much damage, he’ll be OK.
But if the results for Labour then turn out to be dire, his jittery MPs will look to replace him, in the hope that, with three years still left to go before a general election, better leadership will give them more chance of hanging on to their Commons seats.