Starmer ‘poised to quit TODAY’: Minister effectively confirms PM will announce departure

A government minister close to Sir Keir Starmer confirmed today that he had resigned.

Jacqui Smith said she would be ‘happy to have him continue’ as Prime Minister.

His use of the past tense was taken as a tacit confirmation that his resignation was imminent.

The Prime Minister returned to Downing Street from Checkers early this morning, his position hanging by a thread. The announcement that Sir Keir will step down to make way for Andy Burnham could come as soon as today.

Baroness Smith, who was elevated to the House of Lords by Mr Starmer two years ago, revealed the Labor leader had spent the weekend thinking about his future.

Education Secretary Baroness Jacqui Smith told Times Radio: ‘I understand from speaking to those close to the Prime Minister yesterday that he has spent the weekend thinking very carefully about the future of the country and what is best to do for the British people.

‘Of course he was also busy with the government; He responded to the horrific train crash, spoke to the chief executive of the East Midlands Ambulance Service and responded to the attack in Edinburgh.

‘But he always thinks carefully about the future of this country and the interests of the British people; He puts these above the interests of the party and will make his own decisions in the light of what everyone can see as a significant amount of pressure and turmoil.’

The Prime Minister’s position is hanging by a thread and he could be replaced by Andy Burnham as soon as today

Larry the Cat sits on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street today as Keir Starmer returns to London from Checkers

Sir Keir Starmer gave him an assistant job two years ago and then moved him into his top team.

Ms Smith returned to politics having previously lost her parliamentary seat in 2010.

There was outrage from some critics who said Mr Starmer should not have sent the former Labor cabinet minister to the Lords over the expenses scandal.

Last night Donald Trump announced that Keir Starmer would ‘resign’, fueling expectations that the Prime Minister would announce his departure from Downing Street on Monday.

The US President, who met with Sir Keir at the G7 summit in France last week, entered the Labor Party’s leadership crisis by claiming that Sir Keir would withdraw.

“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom,” he said on the TruthSocial site, in his latest intervention in British politics.

‘He has failed miserably on two very important issues: MIGRATION AND ENERGY (OIL OFF THE NORTH SEA!). I wish him good luck! President DJT’

The Prime Minister is said to have concluded, after discussions with Cabinet colleagues, No 10 advisers, union leaders and major Labor Party donors, that his position was no longer tenable.

Sources insisted Sir Keir, who was discussing his future with wife Victoria in their hometown of Chequers this weekend, has not yet made a final decision.

But as the Prime Minister considers his position, it remains to be seen whether Mr Burnham can uncontested replace Sir Keir or whether Labor MPs will insist on a full-fledged leadership contest against a rival like Wes Streeting.

Andy Burnham is being pressured to tear up Labor’s tax pledges to fund costly spending plans.

The challenger to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership has made a series of expensive commitments during the by-election campaign but has not yet determined how he will finance them.

Mr Burnham said Labor would honor its tax return commitments, which include not increasing income tax, National Insurance or VAT, as it contests the seat of Makerfield.

But the new MP’s allies are now pushing him to break that promise or risk ‘falling into disrepair’ in office.

Labor ministers and MPs on the left of the party have rallied around Mr Burnham; among them were his right-hand woman Louise Haigh, Anneliese Midgley, who helped run his campaign, and Energy Minister Ed Miliband.

A pro-Burnham minister told the Daily Mail: ‘This manifesto was written at a particular time but a lot has changed. I think Andy has the opportunity to say that there is a new Prime Minister and he will need some big changes to create real change.

‘That includes tax, which will need to raise revenues to cope with the huge pressures on defence, on the NHS, on getting our high streets where they need to be… I think if we stick to those tax commitments, it will be nipped in the bud and people could become very disappointed very quickly.’

Crossing the line? Andy Burnham was in Cheshire yesterday following Makerfield by-election victory

The outgoing Greater Manchester mayor has pledged to cut business rates for pubs and hospitality venues, nationalize water, energy and transport, make a major investment in council housing and revitalize the northern leg of HS2.

Mr Burnham has yet to outline how he will pay for the promises, made in the heat of the by-election campaign and which could cost taxpayers tens of billions of pounds.

Government estimates put the cost of nationalizing the water industry alone at around £100bn; That means Mr Burnham may have to look again at the tax pledges on which Labor was elected to find cash for his economic agenda. Last night the Conservative Party warned Mr Burnham’s spending plans would damage the economy, saying he had ‘high tax, high debt in his DNA’.

Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride told this newspaper: ‘Andy Burnham wants to destroy Labour’s already disastrous economic legacy and go even further. This will punish hard-working people who do the right thing.

‘Rachel Reeves increased taxes by over £60bn while letting the welfare bill spiral out of control. Burnham wants to double down on all his mistakes through more taxes and more careless spending and borrowing.’

Mr Burnham, who was photographed wearing Birkenstock sandals in Cheshire yesterday before returning to Westminster today, spooked financial markets last year by saying the government should be less ‘guiding’ to bond markets. But during the by-election campaign he said he supported the Chancellor’s fiscal rules; He made a U-turn just weeks after suggesting these rules could be changed to fund defense spending.

There are still people in Mr. Burnham’s circle who advocate such a move. On Friday former Treasury secretary Lord O’Neill said the government needed to be ‘bolder about borrowing for investment’.

The economist appointed by Mr Burnham to strengthen his team of advisers has suggested more could be done to ‘explore’ Rachel Reeves’ financial rules in a bid to boost spending.

Britain’s gilt yields, which determine the cost of government borrowing, rose after Mr Burnham’s victory cleared the way for a bid to oust Sir Keir. During his campaign he was likened to Robin Hood’s ‘Sheriff of Nottingham’ as he boasted of hitting Manchester with the highest taxes of any mayor.

Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick warned last night that ‘Burnham will show his true colors once he enters No 10’.

‘Higher taxes to fund wasteful Net Zero spending, homes for illegal immigrants and benefits for those who don’t need them,’ he said. ‘Labour will never change, and working Britons will have to pay the price.’

Meanwhile, Business Secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News Mr Burnham must maintain ‘fiscal discipline’.

Ms Reeves’s fiscal rules state that day-to-day spending must be matched with tax revenue so Labor can only borrow to invest, not to finance spending.