Labour MPs say ‘endless drama’ of leadership speculation must stop

Labour MPs are calling for a close to the “endless drama” of leadership speculation, as Downing Street begins a fightback against predictions of an imminent challenge to Keir Starmer . Some backbenchers warned that repeated briefings about how and when the prime minister could be toppled were putting off voters, who similarly had disliked the Conservatives’ repeated shuffling of leaders when in power. “All people want is a government which works, and not the endless drama,” one MP said. “We are in a very tricky global situation, and to have this never-ending conversation about who might have a certain number of supporters feels extremely self-indulgent.” Such worries are shared even among some Labour MPs who strongly believe that Starmer should be replaced. “You can both think the PM isn’t the right man to lead us into the next election and that now isn’t the right time to replace him,” one said. Labour is expected to fare very badly in Thursday’s elections to the Scottish and Welsh parliaments and councils across England, with losses well above 1,000 council seats seen as potentially triggering a challenge. Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, has been widely linked with a planned return to Westminster, but faces a series of logistical hurdles, while the other two obvious candidates, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting, are seen as not yet about to act. …