Unions turn on Starmer ahead of election rout

Union bosses have turned on Sir Keir Starmer ahead of an expected local election bloodbath, citing his failure to deliver the change he promised.

One general secretary of a Labour-affiliated union told The Telegraph that the Prime Minister “needs to go”, while another said “the Government is not good enough”.

A video call has been scheduled for 5pm on Friday, when union leaders will privately discuss the local election results and what should be done next.

Labour is expected to lose hundreds of council seats across England on Thursday, including in its traditional London stronghold.

The party was on 18 per cent in a national voting intention poll released by YouGov on Wednesday, significantly behind Reform on 25 per cent and only just ahead of the Conservatives on 17 per cent.

Voting is also taking place for the Welsh Parliament and the Scottish Parliament.

The final YouGov multi-level regression and post-stratification (MRP) poll for the Senedd in Wales showed Labour suffering its worst significant election result in more than a century, while the survey for Scotland projected the worst-ever Holyrood result for the party.

The fallout will increase the pressure on Sir Keir as Labour bleeds votes both to Reform on the Right and the Green Party on the Left.

The Prime Minister is preparing to come out fighting on Friday morning to battle for his premiership, with allies saying he intends to defy any challenge to his position.

However, away from the cameras, the leaders of the 11 trade unions formally affiliated with Labour will debate the results and their implications amid disillusionment with Sir Keir’s performance in office.

One told The Telegraph: “He needs to go. The change and progress that was promised before the general election just hasn’t materialised. People are frustrated.

“Rebuilding trust has become so much harder because of Keir Starmer. The party desperately needs a bolder vision that speaks directly to the cost-of-living crisis.”

Another said: “The Government is not good enough. It is too slow. The British state is bloated and enfeebled. It needs somebody to get things moving and cut through it.”

Union leaders, like Labour MPs on the back benches, are split on whether the Prime Minister should go and, if that happens, who they would support as a replacement.

Andrea Egan, the new general secretary of Unison, has called herself a “fan” of Andy Burnham, the Manchester mayor, and criticised attempts to block him from becoming an MP.

Mr Burnham would need to find a way back to the House of Commons to fulfil his ambitions of becoming Labour leader, as only sitting MPs can win the position.

If support coalesces around Mr Burnham, an agreement could be reached to delay Sir Keir’s departure until his northern rival has returned to Westminster.

On the eve of the election, Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, used an interview with Sky News to hail Mr Burnham as an “incredibly popular, relatable and effective politician” and back him returning to Westminster.

Other union chiefs have indicated they would support Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister who entered politics via the union movement.

The views of the unions are significant as affiliated groups play a formal part in the Labour leadership process, with endorsements helping candidates progress, and members able to vote.

In the past, unions have also thrown support behind candidates by donating money, lending staff to campaigns and allowing their offices to be used for phone calls and planning meetings.

It is understood some would-be leadership hopefuls have been reaching out to senior union figures, building bridges in case a vacancy at the top of the party arises.

GMB and Unite, two of Britain’s biggest unions, could also use Sir Keir’s weakened leadership position to push for further loosening of Labour’s new oil and gas drilling ban.

Voters’ views on Labour ‘as bad as I’ve ever seen’

One source, who has long served in both the Labour Party and the trade union movement, said voters’ views about the party this campaign had been “as bad as I’ve ever seen it on the doors”. They said the message from voters was “f--- off Starmer and f--- off Labour”.

Friday’s 5pm virtual meeting of the Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation will be followed by a longer, in-person meeting the following Friday in London.

No group statement is expected to be issued, given the differences in position across the unions, but some general secretaries are expected to go public with criticism of the Prime Minister.

Trade union leaders are scheduled to meet Sir Keir face to face next month to express their views about the Government and its direction.

Downing Street has been plotting the Prime Minister’s fightback to the local election results for weeks, with the King’s Speech next Wednesday to be used as a reset of his legislative agenda.

Starmer set to fight on

Sir Keir’s allies believe he will make it clear on Friday that he will fight for the “privilege to continue serving this country”.

One backbencher said Sir Keir should not be “panicked”, even if a number of ministers were to resign in an attempt to pressure him into going.

“Keir needs to make it clear that he will fight any leadership contest as soon as a clear pattern of results comes in,” he said.

“He needs to make a clear statement on how he will listen to the public, but that if there is any internal challenge, he believes he is the best man for the job.”

One Cabinet minister told The Telegraph: “Keir is resolute in his determination to deliver on his mandate from the British people.

“If anyone thinks he isn’t going to fight on in the battle against the politics of division, and for the privilege to continue serving this country, they need to think again.”

Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch, the leaders of Reform UK and the Conservatives, each told The Telegraph in pre-vote interviews that Sir Keir should call a general election rather than allow any potential replacement to govern without a mandate.

Mr Farage said: “Of course there should be a general election.” Mrs Badenoch said that “the public should have their chance to have a say on what it is they want”.

[Source: Daily Telegraph]