Starmer prepares to fight leadership bid by Streeting

{"text":[[{"start":8.25,"text":"Sir Keir Starmer has sought to form a phalanx of loyal ministers and Labour MPs to defend his premiership, as he prepares to fight a coup attempt by health secretary Wes Streeting."}],[{"start":19.25,"text":"Starmer told dozens of ministers and MPs that he would see off a Labour leadership bid by Streeting, adding: “We can’t let a leadership contest plunge us into chaos.”"}],[{"start":29.15,"text":"Some ministerial allies of Starmer fear Streeting’s challenge will swiftly bring “soft-left” rivals into the fray, including possibly Ed Miliband, energy secretary and former Labour leader, creating a bitter factional struggle."}],[{"start":43.099999999999994,"text":"Meanwhile supporters of Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester mayor, will demand that any leadership contest be put on hold until after he has a chance to return to Westminster."}],[{"start":52.699999999999996,"text":"Starmer’s authority has been eviscerated in recent days by ministerial resignations and more than 90 MPs calling for him to quit, following Labour’s dire results in local and devolved elections last week."}],[{"start":65.39999999999999,"text":"Some of Starmer’s colleagues thought he might quit on Tuesday. One minister said: “We wanted to see the prime minister, look him in the eye, and see if he has fight. I saw that he has the fight.” "}],[{"start":75.99999999999999,"text":"One person at a meeting of ministers in Starmer’s House of Commons office on Wednesday said there was standing room only, while loyal cabinet members were dispatched to Westminster bars and tea rooms to rally supporters."}],[{"start":89.49999999999999,"text":"Streeting is expected by his allies to quit as health secretary and launch a leadership challenge on Thursday morning, even though by Wednesday evening it had not been officially confirmed."}],[{"start":99.44999999999999,"text":"Some of Starmer’s team are “sceptical” that Streeting, who is on the right of the Labour Party, can win the backing of 81 MPs in order to mount a challenge. But one cabinet minister said the Blairite health secretary would be “stupid” to resign unless he had the numbers."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":118.29999999999998,"text":"Starmer warned in the Commons against the “chaos and instability” of previous political upheavals and cabinet members fear that Streeting’s move could trigger a full-scale leadership crisis. Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader, said Starmer was “in office, not in power”."}],[{"start":136.04999999999998,"text":"Burnham is hoping to announce soon that a serving MP will vacate their seat and open a path for him — via a parliamentary by-election — to return to Westminster, according to his backers."}],[{"start":147.24999999999997,"text":"Downing Street fears that Miliband or Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister, could also join a leadership contest — if it is held on a short timeframe — to stop Streeting entering Number 10. "}],[{"start":159.24999999999997,"text":"One option being considered in Downing Street would be for Starmer to signal he would not thwart Burnham’s return to Westminster, indicating to MPs that a leadership contest could take place at a later date."}],[{"start":171.74999999999997,"text":"That might persuade soft-left Labour MPs to back Starmer now in a fight with Streeting, in anticipation of a chance to vote for Burnham later. “The door has been left open for Andy’s return,” one Starmer ally said."}],[{"start":184.64999999999998,"text":"Labour’s ruling national executive committee, which blocked Burnham’s Westminster return via the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, has considerable leeway in how a leadership contest is run. It could potentially delay any contest to allow Burnham time to become an MP."}],[{"start":200.89999999999998,"text":"But Burnham’s route back to Westminster appears far from straightforward, with some of Manchester’s Labour MPs ruling out standing aside for him. "}],[{"start":210.24999999999997,"text":"Jeff Smith, MP for Manchester Withington, and Afzal Khan, MP for Manchester Rusholme, both said they would not be relinquishing their seats for Burnham. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":220.74999999999997,"text":"The prospect of Starmer being toppled is already causing disruption, with UK military chiefs fearing that it will further delay a crucial decision on a new defence investment plan. Ministerial private offices have started preparing briefing packs for new ministers in the event of more resignations."}],[{"start":238.24999999999997,"text":"Meanwhile European leaders have expressed concern about political stability in Britain ahead of a UK-EU summit in Brussels, slated for early July, given uncertainty around the prime minister’s future."}],[{"start":250.69999999999996,"text":"Streeting’s plan to challenge Starmer emerged during a day of political drama at Westminster in which King Charles, who attended the state opening of parliament, was reduced to playing only a cameo role."}],[{"start":262.94999999999993,"text":"Streeting and Starmer met on Wednesday morning for a meeting that lasted less than 20 minutes. Streeting’s supporters said he had made up his mind on Tuesday night that he was going to quit and run for the leadership."}],[{"start":275.79999999999995,"text":"One cabinet minister loyal to Starmer said: “We know Wes will go over the top tomorrow but he doesn’t have the numbers. All the effort now has to go into stopping him getting to 81 names and he’s currently only on about 30.”"}],[{"start":289.9,"text":"“There’s already financial chaos, gilt yields are rising, if we have a leadership race with more promises that we can’t afford then yields will go even higher and there will be economic turmoil and the public will not forgive us for a generation,” they added. “This is all totally crazy.”"}],[{"start":306.34999999999997,"text":"Some Labour MPs said that if Streeting did not move to contest the party leadership, he would be deemed a “bottler”. "}],[{"start":313.29999999999995,"text":"The health secretary sat alongside Starmer on the Commons benches during the debate on the King’s Speech and in a surreal moment Downing Street said the prime minister retained “full confidence” in Streeting."}],[{"start":325.44999999999993,"text":"One Streeting backer dismissed suggestions that he may lack the 81 names needed to successfully launch a leadership challenge, insisting: “Wes is a very good politician, he doesn’t rely on shonky data.”"}],[{"start":338.69999999999993,"text":"Additional reporting by Jennifer Williams in Manchester"}],[{"start":349.0999999999999,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1778722724_9119.mp3"}