Keir Starmer is urged by allies to get rid of ‘conspirator’ Ed Miliband for plotting against him
Keir Starmer has been called on to sack Ed Miliband for plotting against him.
Sir Keir’s allies accused the Energy Secretary of co-ordinating efforts to oust him from No 10, while privately rallying support for him to become prime minister.
Mr Miliband has flatly refused to run to replace Sir Keir, saying his troubled experience as Labor leader had indoctrinated him not to want the job again.
But Labor MPs say they will quietly scout potential supporters if a quick leadership contest is triggered in which Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham cannot participate.
Mr Miliband did not deny reports that he had warned Sir Keir weeks ago that he would need to set a timetable for his departure if Labor suffered a crisis in local elections.
Sources claim he also encouraged other ministers to tell the Prime Minister to resign and encouraged MPs to speak out against him.
His protege Miatta Fahnbulleh was one of four ministers to resign this week, but he insisted he was not asked to do so by Mr Miliband.
An insider said: ‘Ed behaved disgracefully from the start. It forces people to go to the Prime Minister and tell him it’s time to go.
Ed Miliband has flatly refused to stand to replace Sir Keir, saying his troubled experience as Labor leader had indoctrinated him not to want the job again.
Allies of Sir Keir Starmer have accused the Energy Secretary of co-ordinating efforts to knock him out of 10th place while privately rallying support for him to become prime minister
‘He tells everyone he’s Angela’ [Rayner] he is not up to it and if there is a quick race he will have to be the candidate of the Left.
‘He’s so irrelevant that he seems to be hoping people will forget that he led the party into disaster.
‘And all the while he keeps his head under the parapet and says he’s not interested in being Prime Minister.’
A Labor MP loyal to Sir Keir said: ‘The Prime Minister must sack Ed like he sacked Boris Johnson, even if it is the last thing he does [Michael] Finally go. ‘He was behind a lot of destabilizing activities.’
Mr Miliband is one of the few senior Cabinet ministers who has yet to offer public support to Sir Keir following last week’s disastrous local election results.
He led Labor in 2010 and suffered a crushing defeat by David Cameron’s Conservatives in 2015.
