Starmer vows to 'fight on' amid rumours of 'Downing Street coup' to oust PM
Sources suggested that Sir Keir would stay to fight any leadership election amid rumours of a coup helmed by Wes Streeting.
Downing Street is said to be 'on alert' amid suggestions of a coup to remove him as Prime Minister after the upcoming Budget.
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Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to 'fight on' in the wake of a potential plot to oust him as PM, amid suggestions of a potential leadership challenge from Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Senior Labour figures raised fears that up to 50 frontbenchers are willing to stand down in order to force Sir Keir out should the Budget on November 26 land poorly.
Downing Street is increasingly concerned that the Mr Streeting, understood to have leadership ambitions, is planning an imminent move to remove Starmer as PM after the fiscal event.
Mr Streeting has fiercely denied the reports.
Starmer's closest aides have said that any attempt to remove the Prime Minister would be "reckless" and "dangerous" - reportedly telling the Guardian that the move would destabilise the markets, international relationships and Labour itself.
They also have suggested that Sir Keir would stay to fight any leadership election, rather than stepping aside for rivals.
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Despite the difficult Budget, other sources speaking to the Times suggested that poor election results in the May 2026 locals could seal Starmer's fate.
A Downing Street source said: “Keir doesn’t realise this is existential for him. But it’s astonishing that MPs think that ousting him might be an answer – the public will just think we’re no different from the last lot.”
A Cabinet minister told the Guardian: “Wes is obviously on manoeuvres but it’s not about ousting Keir, it’s about putting himself in pole position if a vacancy should come about. He’s not the only one. But we’ve all seen the polling and are worried that we’re about to hand the country to Reform,” one cabinet minister said.
“I doubt that anybody who replaced Keir could shift the dial in the country, especially if they also needed to make up for the level of chaos they’d create by changing leader.”
The alarm from No.10 comes after reports last week suggested 2024 intake of Labour parliamentarians were discussing the mechanics of a future coup, according to the i Paper.
A spokesperson for Wes Streeting told the Guardian the suggestion of a coup was “categorically untrue”.
They 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.”
Other Labour leadership hopefuls reported by the Times include Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and former leader Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
MPs told the Times that Angela Rayner, the former Deputy Prime Minister, is likely to emerge as the “kingmaker” in any race to succeed Starmer.
A Starmer ally told the Times: “Keir knows he is already fighting a leadership contest. When it comes, he won’t resign. He will fight it. He thinks it’s fantasy politics. The first thing any leadership candidate is going to do is attack Trump, demand we drop the fiscal rules or rejoin the EU.
"What would two or three months of cabinet ministers pitching left for the members like that do to the markets? How would it look to the Americans or Brussels?”
Another said: “Keir is utterly committed to renewing the country. He always said this was a tough and long journey, but not one that can be completed in a year. So I’m certain that he would fight any challenge."