At a summer drinks reception in Westminster this week, a Shadow Cabinet minister – still bearing the scars of the Tories’ leadership battles – was asked what advice he would give Labour MPs preparing to dethrone their own leader.
“Don’t,” came the jaded reply.
Sir Keir Starmer and his allies will be hoping to deliver the same counsel to the Labour backbenches over the next 72 hours as the Prime Minister seeks to shore up his rapidly weakening position in the wake of the political earthquake caused in Makerfield.
Shorts
The crushing victory for Andy Burnham in his by-election on the outskirts of Wigan was a resounding win for Labour, but the worst of all possible outcomes for Starmer and his shrinking band of loyalists.
