The Prime Minister could be facing attempts by Labour MPs to oust him from the top job, with rivals rumoured to prepare to make moves in the wake of the budget.
Sir Keir Starmer’s closest allies in Downing Street have reportedly launched an operation to protect the PM from rival leadership hopefuls, which allegedly includes Wes Streeting.
Fears are growing among his inner circle in Westminster that he might be vulnerable to a leadership challenge after the autumn budget within weeks.
The PM, who has come under pressure from plummeting polls and the rising popularity of Reform, is said to have made it clear he will fight any attempts to replace him.
Downing Street is reportedly in full ‘bunker mode’ full bunker mode’, turning on their most loyal Cabinet members for absolutely no reason,’ according to a government source.
Sign up to Metro’s politics newsletter, Alright Gov?
Craig Munro breaks down Westminster chaos into easy to follow insight, walking you through what the latest policies mean to you. Sent every Wednesday. Sign up here.
They added: ‘A circular firing squad won’t help the Government out of the hole we’re in.’
Streeting, the Health Secretary, is thought to be among the top candidates to try to replace Sir Keir, which he has denied.
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has also been suggested as a potential future rival.
Rumours are also swirling about the former Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, and Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary and Sir Keir’s long-term ally.
Miliband defended the Labour leader’s poll performance last month, telling Metro that the best way to win back voters is to look at ‘what the country needs, and making a difference’ rather than ‘poll watching.’
A minister close to the Prime Minister told the BBC: ‘He will fight this.
‘This is not a Hartlepool moment.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
‘He is one of only two people alive who have won a general election for Labour. It’d be madness to run against him after 17 months.’
Another Labour source said: ‘The list of reasons for people to move after the Budget are growing by the day.
‘If Wes is brave and moves he may well be rewarded by being prime minister by Christmas.’
However, Streeting’s spokesman told the broadcaster that the claims ‘are categorically untrue.’
He added: ‘Wes’s focus has entirely been on cutting waiting lists for the first time in 15 years, recruiting 2,500 more GPs, and rebuilding the NHS that saved his life.’
The next critical moment after the budget for the Labour party will be when voters head to the polls in local elections in Scotland, Wales and many parts of England in May.
The latest rumours come just weeks after speculation that Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, was eyeing up Sir Keir’s job.
Burnham, who does not currently hold an MP seat, appeared to put the rumours to bed by saying he would have to be ‘wrenched’ out of Manchester.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.