Streeting showdown in No 10 as King dragged into Labour shambles: Monarch to lay out Starmer’s plans with pro-EU push and more Net Zero but NO benefits curbs… as PM struggles to keep his job
The King will announce Keir Starmer’s government plans today – despite uncertainty over whether he will have the power to implement it.
Amid traditional scenes of pomp and ceremony, the monarch will preside over the State Opening of Parliament.
But while the King will read out a list of legislation including proposals to get closer to the EU and strengthen the Net Zero target, there is ‘anger’ that he has been dragged into a messy Labor coup.
Sir Keir meets Wes Streeting this morning and wants the Health Secretary to back down on attempts to sack him following the disastrous local elections.
The Prime Minister’s allies have described the encounter as ‘an instant coffee’ but the danger remains; There are allegations that the unions are ready to say that the Prime Minister will not be able to contest the next election.
The next batch of Mandelson papers is expected to be released as early as next week.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner are both hanging around as the question of who will replace Sir Keir dominates MPs’ debates.
In a dramatic incident at Westminster yesterday, four Labor Party ministers resigned, saying they no longer trusted the prime minister.
The number of Labor MPs who want him gone has risen to 90 and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was forced to deny he was on the verge of resigning after telling the Prime Minister to set a timetable for his departure.
Other developments and turns today:
- The King’s speech will contain no further proposals to restrict the welfare bill, seen as a sign of Sir Keir’s weakness;
- Mr Burnham’s allies claim he is prepared to resign as an MP which would allow him to stand in the House of Commons, but it is unclear whether Labour’s ruling body will block him;
- Veterans minister Al Carns took a distinctive step with a ‘manifesto’ in the Labor Party bible, the New Statesman;
The King will announce Keir Starmer’s government plans today – despite uncertainty over whether he will have the power to implement it
Amid traditional scenes of pomp and ceremony, the monarch will preside over the State Opening of Parliament
In a bizarre Cabinet meeting yesterday, Sir Keir tried to brush off the uprising against him.
He began the session by promising to continue the fight and insisted he would only discuss the leadership issue one-on-one with ministers. But sources said he refused to meet Mr Streeting individually.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy attempted to calm the situation last night by calling on Labor MPs to step back from the brink and warned that the party’s ‘navel gazing’ was damaging the country.
The prospect of a Labour-led coup has sparked panic in financial markets, with traders spooked by the thought that a new leader would drag the Government further to the Left.
An ally of Mr Burnham said markets needed to ‘get in line’ if he came to power.
However, the same markets also caused public borrowing costs to rise to the highest level of this century yesterday. Sterling lost value against both the dollar and the euro.
Donald Trump warned last night that the Prime Minister was ‘destroying the country with the wind’ and said it was up to Sir Keir to resign.
Jess Phillips, the most notable name among the ministerial departures, criticized the Prime Minister’s failure to be ‘brave’.
Dr Ahmed followed him out the door on Tuesday afternoon and said the public had ‘irreparably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister’, citing a ‘lack of values-based leadership’.
Alex Davies-Jones, believed to be a supporter of Mr Streeting, also left the Home Office, citing a lack of ‘bold and radical action’.
Resigned housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, an ally of Energy Minister Ed Miliband, said the public had lost confidence in Sir Keir over issues such as the cancellation of the winter fuel payment.
The government has appointed four new ministers and three new whips to replace those who left in protest against Sir Keir’s leadership.
Nesil Çalışkan has been appointed parliamentary undersecretary of state (PPS) at the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Natalie Fleet has been appointed PPS at the Home Office, Catherine Atkinson has been appointed PPS at the Department of Justice and Preet Kaur Gill has been appointed PPS at the Department of Health and Social Care.
Gen Kitchen became comptroller of HM Household and Deirdre Costigan became the new senior lord of the Treasury; Both are government whips. Shaun Davies will be deputy assistant in the House of Commons.
