Barry Gardiner has claimed it is “common knowledge” in Parliament that Labour MPs are discussing how to get rid of Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Gardiner cast doubt on both No10 and Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s denials of any leadership challenge.
He said: “It’s certainly the first time I’ve ever seen a Cabinet minister saying that he’s got full confidence in his boss. It’s usually the other way round.”
Mr Gardiner added: “We’re in a very poor state when No10 feels it has to defend itself against some putative challenge, and the chief person they’re accusing of challenging says, ‘no, no, of course I’m not doing anything’.
Barry Gardiner said that it is ‘common knowledge’
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GB NEWS
“I don’t believe either of them, actually. It’s common knowledge in Parliament.
“Everybody knows there are groups of MPs worried about the polls asking ‘does the Prime Minister need to go? Who’s going to challenge him? When’s it going to happen?’”
Mr Gardiner said the public would be frustrated by the infighting, adding: “They look at this and say, ‘oh, for goodness sake, stop talking to yourselves and get on with running the country’
“The idea that this isn’t happening and that we can all come out here and say, ‘no, no, no, of course, everything’s fine at the gasworks’ is just ridiculous.
“There has to be a bit of honesty about what’s going on. But fundamentally, this is now a job for the Prime Minister, get a grip on those around him, right?
“And that is the essential thing here, because we know that there – I think it was Wes Streeting this morning [who] called it a toxic culture around No10 that has to go.”
Keir Starmer is facing internal pressure in the Labour Party
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REUTERS
Several high-profile figures, including close allies of the PM, are being discussed as potential replacements should a leadership challenge emerge.
Among those named are Mr Streeting, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and former Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.
Mr Streeting denied any plot was underway, telling Sky News he has no plans to try to oust his bossr.
Instead, Mr Streeting accused allies of briefing against him, calling it “self-defeating and self-destructive behaviour”.
Mr Streeting said: “I’m not challenging the Prime Minister, I’m not standing against him.
“I’m not doing any of the things some silly briefers said overnight.
“We’ve seen this before against other Cabinet colleagues.
“I think our deputy leader Lucy Powell was absolutely right about that toxic culture that needs to change.”