Starmer ready to fight any challenge to oust him, insists No 10

Downing Street has insisted Sir Keir Starmer will fight any challenge to his leadership amid claims an attempt to oust him could come as soon as the Budget.

In a rare and apparently deliberate attempt by No 10 figures to shore up the Prime Minister’s position, plotters were told an attempted coup could spook the markets.

Sir Keir’s supporters have accused Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, and Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, of being on leadership manoeuvres.

The claims prompted a fierce briefing war on Tuesday night as allies of the accused ministers, in turn, said No 10 was pushing “nonsense” allegations.

The decision by Downing Street to brief out the Prime Minister’s determination to stay in No 10 suggests there is real concern his position is under threat.

Sir Keir’s authority has been weakened by a series of mishaps including botched welfare reforms and poor handling of the Angela Rayner and Lord Mandelson scandals.

Earlier this year, Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, sparked speculation he could try to replace Sir Keir by refusing to rule out challenging him during interviews.

Labour has trailed Reform UK in the polls since May’s local elections, and is currently on 18 per cent, compared with Mr Farage’s party on 31 per cent.

Soft-Left MPs also fear Labour will hemorrhage more support to progressive parties following a recent surge in support for the Green Party and defeat by Plaid Cymru in a by-election.

Challenge to PM would be ‘extremely unwise’

A Downing Street source told The Telegraph: “Any attempt to bring political instability into a Government with a very stable majority would be economically and politically extremely unwise.”

On what would happen if Sir Keir faced a leadership challenge, the source added: “Of course he would stand in a contest if challenged. But it is all hypothetical.”

A second No 10 source claimed not to be concerned the Prime Minister would face a challenge but said he would “of course” fight any leadership election.

No sitting Labour prime minister has ever been removed by a formal leadership challenge, though Sir Tony Blair stepped aside after years of pressure from his chancellor, Gordon Brown.

According to the party’s rule book, 20 per cent of the Labour Parliamentary Party, or 81 MPs, would need to back a rival candidate to trigger a challenge.

Starmer allies appear concerned a coup could be launched as soon as the Budget on November 26, when Sir Keir is expected to break the Labour manifesto promise not to increase income tax.

Some of the Prime Minister’s supporters have accused Mr Streeting, a Blairite, of seeking to build support from the party’s Left in the event of a leadership challenge.

In recent weeks he has heaped praise on Zohran Mamdani, New York’s Left-wing mayor-elect, and defended Sir Sadiq Khan against claims by Donald Trump he was trying to impose sharia law on London.

Streeting denies plotting coup

On Tuesday night, Mr Streeting’s team denied he was plotting a leadership coup after briefings against him.

A spokesman for the Health Secretary said: “These claims are categorically untrue. Wes’s focus has entirely been on cutting waiting lists for the first time in 15 years, recruiting 2,500 more GPs, and rebuilding the NHS that saved his life.”

A Government source critical of the Downing Street briefing operation said: “No 10 has gone into full bunker mode, turning on their most loyal cabinet members for absolutely no reason.

“Unfortunately there is a pattern of Keir’s team briefing against his own people – they did it to Angela [Rayner], Lisa [Nandy], Lucy [Powell], now it’s Wes’s turn. A circular firing squad won’t help the Government out of the hole we’re in.”

An ally of Ms Mahmood, the Home Secretary, rejected suggestions she was plotting for the leadership, calling it “nonsense” and saying there was “clearly one big No 10 operation” under way to shore up Sir Keir’s position.

Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader and current Net Zero Secretary, was also mentioned in some reports as being another Cabinet minister possibly on leadership manoeuvres.

Mr Streeting is scheduled to do a round of broadcast interviews on Wednesday morning, when he will inevitably be asked if he supports the Prime Minister.

Sir Keir is also set to speak in the House of Commons for his regular appearance at Prime Minister’s Questions.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]