The putsch to oust Britain’s Keir Starmer is finally taking shape – POLITICO

Labour Leadership Crisis: Paths to Oust Keir Starmer Become Clearer

After a period marked by briefing wars, red herrings, and a concerted fightback by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Labour MPs believe the potential routes to remove him from office are now becoming more evident.

The Prime Minister may be able to cling to power for a month or two. However, if he does not establish his own timetable for departure, he could face challenges from two primary rivals: Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Wes Streeting, the centrist former Health Secretary. While Streeting’s attempt to launch an immediate challenge sputtered out on Thursday, his allies remain focused on the long term.

The Contenders and the Hurdles

Andy Burnham, known to the public and his party as the “King of the North,” is currently positioned at the front of the line to replace Starmer. However, his path to the top job is not without obstacles; to run for leadership, Burnham must first return to Westminster and become an MP.

Should Burnham fail to clear these hurdles, Angela Rayner, Starmer’s former deputy and a favorite of the party’s “soft left” flank, is waiting in the wings. Rayner spent Thursday afternoon at a Buckingham Palace garden party, coinciding with announcements that she had been cleared of deliberate wrongdoing in a probe into her tax affairs.

Significance and Next Steps

The current instability places Keir Starmer in a precarious position, as he fights the prospect of becoming the fifth British prime minister in seven years to be booted from office.

Moving forward, the various factions within the party are likely to engage in a period of “shadow-boxing” and pact-forming. This phase may involve potential successors setting out agendas for a government that does not yet exist, while Starmer attempts to maintain his grip on leadership.