London: Britain may once again be heading towards political upheaval, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer facing growing pressure amid internal dissent within the Labour Party. Starmer’s position has come under strain after the cabinet suspended the implementation of a key business decision, triggering renewed questions about his leadership.
The first prominent call for Starmer to step aside came from Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scottish Labour, in connection with the ongoing Manderson controversy. Sarwar, once regarded as a close ally and supporter of Starmer, said that resigning would be in the best interests of the country. He accused the Prime Minister’s Office of committing a series of serious mistakes and argued that a change in leadership was necessary to end the prevailing confusion. Sarwar stated that he would speak out whenever he believed errors were being made. It is understood that Sarwar informed the Prime Minister in advance about his decision to go public.
Following this, 10 Downing Street was reportedly placed on a crisis footing. According to the reports, Labour ministers were instructed to publicly back Starmer or risk losing their cabinet positions. These developments come as political shockwaves from the resignation of Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney continue to ripple through Westminster.
Fresh infighting deepens crisis around Keir Starmer
Initially, several ministers were reluctant to openly express support for the Prime Minister. However, as fears about government stability began to unsettle financial markets, reports suggest that dissenting ministers eventually bowed to pressure from No. 10. Soon after, all cabinet members publicly declared their support for Starmer on social media. Addressing Parliament later, the Prime Minister claimed that he had emerged victorious from every political battle he had faced.
Despite this show of unity, fresh tensions have emerged within the government. A new confrontation has reportedly opened between Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the Prime Minister’s Office, adding to Starmer’s difficulties. No. 10 has accused Streeting of working alongside Sarwar to push for the Prime Minister’s resignation, an allegation Streeting has strongly denied, calling it malicious while pointing to his public statements backing Starmer. Even as he reiterates his support for the Prime Minister, Streeting is widely believed to be positioning himself as a future leadership contender. Political observers suggest that his decision to release a private WhatsApp exchange with Peter Manderson was a calculated move. Notably, when discussions surfaced about replacing Starmer with a caretaker Prime Minister, Streeting’s name featured prominently among the potential candidates.
