Surprise candidate emerges to replace Starmer as grip on power weakens | UK | News
Keir Starmer has recently faced calls to resign (Image: Getty)
Labor rebels reportedly see Defense Secretary John Healey as a “unity candidate” who will challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the leadership. Support is growing among hardliners who believe Mr Healey can attract votes from both the left and right wings of the party.
Some moderates see Health Secretary Wes Streeting as too “toxic” to lead, especially after he published WhatsApp correspondence with Lord Mandelson before the police investigation concluded. Angela Rayner’s allies, meanwhile, admit her chances of a leadership challenge have been complicated by an ongoing HMRC investigation into her tax affairs. The statement comes amid internal calls for Labor to chart a new course following the resignation this month of Sir Keir’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, over the Mandelson affair.
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British Defense Secretary John Healey is in Ukraine (Image: Getty)
The Prime Minister also lost his communications director and faced public criticism from Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar in what many saw as the toughest week of his political career.
On Saturday, the party’s biggest union supporters and 25 backbencher MPs accused Sir Keir of pursuing a “narrow factional agenda”, The Telegraph reported. They argued that this approach was “increasingly unpopular with the public” and called on Labor to “work together to strengthen our democracy and reverse this damaging behaviour”.
Of Mr Streeting, one Labor MP said: “Traditionally, you’d think of him as the champion of hard-line moderates, but he’s always been allegedly plotting to deceive Keir loyalists. He’s deceived everyone who’s pro-Israel and everyone around Rachel Reeves. So it’s not really ideal.”
Mr Streeting reportedly criticized Labour’s economic approach in WhatsApp messages with Lord Mandelson, saying the party “has no growth strategy”. Observers claimed that these words contradicted the official position of the Labor government.
Prime Minister remains under serious pressure despite narrowly avoiding scare last week (Image: Getty)
On the Labor Left, questions remain about Ms Rayner’s ability to seize control. He resigned as housing minister and deputy prime minister last year after errors were found in stamp duty payments he made on a second home. As a result, many on the Left, both moderate and soft, now see Mr Healey as a stronger opponent.
A source told The Telegraph: “He’s a politically intelligent and serious man. He’s been operating under the radar for literally decades. And he’s not divisive.”
It happened on Saturday night as five leading union bosses and 25 MPs criticized Sir Keir for imposing a “narrow, factional agenda” on Labor. In a joint statement, they said Sir Keir was “becoming increasingly unpopular with the public”.
To complicate matters further, even loyalists believe the Prime Minister’s days will soon be over, citing his tenuous grip on the party.
Mr Healey’s spokesman stressed his continued support for the Prime Minister and quoted the Defense Secretary: “The British public gave Keir a huge mandate just 18 months ago. They wanted a Labor Government. They want us to deliver on the change we promised. They expect us to get on with the job. The Prime Minister has my full support in leading this government and this country.”
