Starmer’s likely replacement will chill you to the bone | UK | News

Tory grand leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has joined the debate over who could replace the embattled Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the Labor Party.

Prime Minister Starmer is believed to be in his “final days” of office, according to Labor MPs close to the rebellion, which was triggered by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s question to Starmer during PMQs in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

He asked Starmer whether he knew of Lord Mandelson’s ongoing links with American pedophile and businessman Jeffrey Epstein, despite his conviction for a sex crime, before appointing Lord Mandelson to the position of US Ambassador. There was a sharp gasp in the chamber before lawmakers on both sides created an uproar over the statement.

Angela Rayner has mobilized Labor supporters against the Prime Minister in an unprecedented show of defiance in which the former deputy prime minister, seen as a credible leadership candidate, backed calls for full openness over the controversial appointment. Starmer accused Mandelson of hiding facts about the depth of his relationship with Epstein during the application process to the US embassy.

Since then, political insiders within the Labor Party have described Starmer’s position as “untenable”, his premiership has been labeled “outrageous” and hardliners have called for the resignation of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s No 10 Chief of Staff and believed to have been central in persuading Starmer to back the Mandelson appointment.

In a sit-down interview with Sir Iain for GB News, Bev Turner asked the senior Conservative MP who he thought would be most likely to succeed Starmer if he were to be sacked, which is looking more likely by the minute.

‘You will undoubtedly end up with him’

Sir Iain replied: “The current Environment Secretary is sure to be able to do that if he throws his hat in the ring.”

He explained why “Red Ed” Miliband, known for his eco-bigot credentials and dogged determination to push Labour’s radical green agenda, is the most likely replacement for Starmer.

“It’s overwhelmingly popular. But it behaves in communist fashion, imposing rules and regulations on ordinary members of the public, increasing the cost of driving.”

“But Labor members love him because that’s the kind of socialism they want and that’s what he delivers.

“So if he throws his hat in the ring, you’ll be with him, without a doubt. Without a doubt.

“To others, this would just be a donut fight.”

Bev asked Sir Iain how quickly he thought Miliband could be installed as leader of the Labor Party and therefore prime minister of the country.

“Labour’s rules are much stricter (than the Conservatives). There is timing for the fight and that normally happens at the conference.

“Then you have to come forward with a large number of MPs who will support you. In this case there are about 80 people and then a direct challenge needs to be made.

“When this happens, the door will be opened for others. That’s why they couldn’t get rid of any leader, Prime Minister or opposition leader in the past.

“No one has been saved since World War II. Even if there were real problems, they still wouldn’t have been saved.”

Commons descends into chaos

Following the historic PMQ where Starmer made his extraordinary confession, Baron Hutton of Furness warned on LBC on Wednesday evening that Starmer’s handling of the crisis “could signal the end of the prime minister’s term”.

The expert told the audience: “It’s about the prime minister’s leadership and unless that situation changes dramatically I think the government is in serious trouble.”

Starmer initially resisted full disclosure of the Mandelson appointment papers before launching a humiliating retraction, and a panel of MPs and peers will now decide which papers will be made public following the last-minute escalation.

But in a dramatic twist, Scotland Yard foiled Starmer’s attempt to publish evidence purportedly proving Mandelson’s fraud. Detectives warned that releasing the material would be “detrimental” to the active criminal investigation against the peer. Mandelson faces investigation for misconduct in public office; It’s a charge that carries a potential life sentence.

Starmer said: “Mandelson betrayed our country, our parliament and my party. He repeatedly lied to my team when asked about his relationship with Epstein before and during his tenure as ambassador. I regret appointing him. If I had known then what I know now, he would never have been anywhere near the government.”

Police objection deepens the crisis

Ministers rewrote their position to hand unredacted documents to the Intelligence and Security Committee, a capitulation that averts a parliamentary loss that would compound Starmer’s difficulties.

But just hours later the Metropolitan Police objected to the Cabinet Office’s sharing of documents, creating new problems.

Officers expressed concern that the release of “certain documents” could “undermine our current investigation” into Mandelson’s behaviour.

The criminal investigation focuses on allegations that his colleague passed market-sensitive intelligence to Epstein during his time as business secretary in Gordon Brown’s Labor government.

The cost of Miliband’s net zero campaign

Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, has been accused of pursuing “one of the most expensive policies in British history” and justifying it with “misleadingly low figures”, according to a damning verdict in a briefing paper published by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) last month.

Worse still, the think tank claims the UK is “shutting down serious democratic debate” to hide how much money it is spending on its clean energy superpower fantasy.

The IEA’s analysis suggests the gross costs of net zero could exceed even the highest official estimates of £7.6 trillion and potentially exceed £9 trillion.