The timing of the coup against Starmer helps one candidate – Wes Streeting
TThe timing of the coup against Keir Starmer helped one hopeful leader more than anyone else: Wes Streeting.
On Monday night, as Labor MP after Labor MP joined the growing list of people calling for the prime minister’s resignation, it became clear that a pattern was emerging.
The name poll was not dominated by MPs from the perennially disgruntled left of the party, the usual suspects who never liked Starmer. Instead, most were from the right of the party and were particularly allies of Mr Streeting.
It’s probably no coincidence that the two cabinet ministers who told Sir Keir his time was up were Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, both from the party’s right wing.
But the pace of events seems designed to ensure that Mr Streeting is the obvious and only serious candidate left standing. There must be hope of being crowned.
Manchester’s mayor Andy Burnham, who is seen as the favorite to replace Sir Keir, still cannot stand because he is not an MP.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is likely to run and will be considered the favorite due to her support on the soft left. But the timing isn’t ideal for him. He still has serious questions to resolve regarding his tax affairs.
Meanwhile, other names such as Ms Mahmood, Energy Minister Ed Miliband and Defense Minister Al Carns are fringe candidates at best in terms of support.
From the moment Chris Curtis, chairman of Labour’s growth group, seen as a close ally of the health secretary, publicly called for Sir Keir to go, it was clearly a push to install Mr Streeting in Westminster.
But it is not possible to attribute the timing entirely to Mr Streeting and his allies. Events took their course.
Former foreign secretary Catherine West’s shock intervention at the weekend helped Mr Streeting, but was not part of the plan. His announcement that he would be a candidate turned everyone’s plans upside down.
This dashed the hopes of those on the left, especially those who wanted Mr Burnham to return and become leader.
The other part of the timing was up to the Prime Minister himself. His speech on Monday morning offered no new vision, no new policies, and merely repeated a series of clichés that further inflamed an already heated situation. This, in addition to giving an interview in which he said he would be Prime Minister for ten years.
Rather than silencing his critics, Sir Keir managed to further anger MPs and they decided enough was enough.
But Mr Streeting will not get the coronation, even though his supporters hope so. Chances are Ms Rayner or Mr Miliband will run against him and probably win. However, the door to what is likely to turn into a bloody civil war in the party has been opened.
Ironically, it was Sir Keir’s actions to ensure that the national executive committee (NEC) blocked Mr Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton byelections that left the party without a unifying candidate to take on Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski.
This may be the prime minister’s worst and most enduring legacy; especially if it ends with Mr Farage standing on the steps of Number 10.
