Labour leadership challenge in wake of disastrous local poll results could unleash chaos in party, MPs warned
Cabinet ministers have warned mutinous Labour MPs that any attempt to oust Keir Starmer after a potentially disastrous set of election results this week would unleash chaos for the party that would not be easily overcome.
However, several told the Guardian that even with the prime minister’s determination to stay in Downing Street after Thursday’s vote, the mood on the backbenches was febrile and events could yet spiral out of control.
They also admitted that – while they would discourage any coup against Starmer now, they did not expect him to lead the party into the next election. “When your personal brand is so poor, it is seldom retrievable,” one added.
Labour faces losing more than 1,500 council seats across England, a struggle for second place in Scotland and the prospect of losing Wales after a century of domination, leaving thousands of angry local politicians who see themselves as victims of the government’s unpopularity.
