Home secretary Shabana Mahmood condemns ‘mortifying’ Labour leadership row as Angela Rayner allies forced to deny new plot to oust Keir Starmer
The home secretary has condemned speculation surrounding the Labor leadership as “deeply shameful” as Angela Rayner’s allies were forced to reject a bid to oust the prime minister just days after the health secretary was forced to do the same.
Shabana Mahmood described Labor infighting that dominated headlines last week and confused the party’s most senior members as “horribly disgraceful” and called on ministers to “focus on business” rather than “blabbing”.
As Ms Rayner made her defence, a source close to Ms Rayner pointed out “inaccurate” reports claiming the former deputy prime minister was among those planning to challenge Sir Keir Starmer.
Shadow minister Chris Philp said Labor was “fighting like rats in a sack”.
The turmoil at the top of the government follows a turbulent week in which Wes Streeting was forced to publicly deny that he was planning a coup to oust Sir Keir. The bitter row erupted on Tuesday when the prime minister insisted his allies were willing to fight any challenge to his leadership, with Ms Streeting singled out as a possible rival.
Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Mahmood referred to the briefings as “babble”; this phrase was also used by Ms. Rayner to condemn the controversy.
He said: “I think what happened earlier this week was terribly disgraceful.
“This is a deeply embarrassing situation for everyone in the government and I am pleased that the prime minister is dealing with this matter.”
He noted this week’s policy announcements, such as the abolition of police and crime commissioners, and added: “We all have important difficult work to do and as cabinet ministers we all need to focus on that work.
“Because all of this gossip, these off-the-record briefings, people not having the courage to put on the public record what they say privately to reporters, all of that doesn’t stand the test of time.”
Ms Mahmood was also asked on Sky News whether the Prime Minister needed to rethink his leadership after a difficult week for No 10.
He said: “No. Keir Starmer is our prime minister. We won an election less than a year and a half ago when people thought we might not win an election for perhaps a generation or more.”
“I don’t have time for that kind of stuff that people say or brief off the record or, frankly, Westminster gossip.”
The continued negativity at Labour’s summit came as Ms Mahmood outlined details of immigration restrictions she will announce in the House of Commons on Monday, which will face strong opposition from MPs.
But the big announcement threatens to be overshadowed by the row, with an insider claiming Sir Keir is on “borrowed time”. There are still unanswered questions about the source of the leak, with the prime minister launching an investigation amid fresh interest over whether Sir Keir’s long-time ally and chief of staff Morgan McSweeney can survive in office.
Pollster Scarlett Maguire, founder and director of Merlin Strategy, suggested voters are “desperate” for politicians to put aside infighting and take charge.
he said Independent: “Acrimonious public infighting is never a good look, especially when voters desperately need politicians who get on with their jobs and deliver tangible change.
“However, there is clearly deep-seated unhappiness with the country’s current leadership.”
Pointing to figures from YouGov earlier this week, he added: “The majority of the public think Keir Starmer should resign, including nearly 4 in 10 Labor voters.”
Meanwhile, someone from the Labor Party suggested: Independent He said they agreed the saga was “shameful”. Referring to Sir Keir, they said: “We’re at a point where it’s openly discussed every day in the media. If that’s not a borrowed man, I don’t know what is.”
Ministers are grappling with their own MPs who are concerned about the party’s choices and the potential impact of the upcoming budget.
A source close to Ms Rayner denied on Sunday that she was making any potential moves towards her leadership bid, calling the idea “complete nonsense”.
They said: “This is complete nonsense and absolutely wrong. Amidst all the exciting and silly games, Angela is focused on representing her local community and ensuring the priorities she champions in government are fully delivered.”
He had previously sparked speculation about a return to frontline politics by saying he was “not moving away” in his first interview since his resignation in September.
He also condemned the saga as “arrogant gossip” and criticized briefings against Mr Streeting.
Meanwhile, Chris Philp told Sky News: “Labour can’t do this. They’re fighting like rats in a sack.”
“There’s Keir Starmer briefing against Wes Streeting. There’s Angela Rayner sharpening knives in the background.”
“God knows what Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell are up to.
“Rather than serving the national interest, the Labor government are fighting each other just weeks away from a Budget that will introduce massive tax rises that will further increase unemployment in this country.”
