After days of false starts, red herrings, a fierce media battle from all sides and Starmer’s collective struggle, his MPs believe the competing ways to oust him are now becoming clearer.
The prime minister can hang on for at least a month or two. If he doesn’t choose to set the schedule himself, he could face one or both of his rivals: Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, whose desire to mount an immediate challenge was quashed on Thursday.
Waiting anxiously is Starmer’s former deputy, Angela Rayner, Labour’s favorite on the “soft left”, should Burnham fall at one of the roadblocks on the road to the top job. He announced Thursday that he had been cleared of intentional wrongdoing investigation into his tax affairs – and spent the afternoon at a Buckingham Palace garden party as parliament plotted.
“We’ll get there eventually,” said one Streeting associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly. A second Streeting associate added: “There aren’t many options left, other than shouting into the void.”
All are now likely to spend the next period of time jumping between shadow boxing and deal-making, setting the agenda for a government that does not yet exist – while Starmer fights for the prospect of becoming Britain’s fifth prime minister in seven years to be ousted.
The King of the North Returns (Maybe)
First in line to replace Starmer is Burnham, who as mayor of Greater Manchester has earned the moniker “King of the North” from his party and the public. But to run, he must first return to Westminster to become an MP.
