SIR KEIR Starmer is under pressure to ditch his closest aide to end a turf war raging in No 10.
Allies of the embattled Prime Minister have told him heads must roll if he is to reassert his authority after a string of setbacks.
Top target is his divisive chief-of-staff Sue Gray whose feud with the Cabinet Secretary is at the heart of the turmoil. Her high-handed manner and grip on power has prompted a series of damaging leaks which have dented Sir Keir’s popularity. Ministers are in despair that he is engulfed in rows over freebies and cronyism while 10 million pensioners are set to lose their winter fuel payments.
The infighting has cast a dark shadow over the Labour’s first conference as a party of government in 15 years.
MPs gathering in Liverpool last night were harangued by pensioners furious about cuts to the winter fuel payment.
And there is already talk in Westminster tearooms of who will succeed him as leader.
A senior Labour figure told the Sunday Express: “Only the Prime Minister can end the back-stabbing in his government and that means somebody is going to have to go.
“We could see Baroness Gray take her seat in the Lords before long.”
And one MP said: “It is absolutely toxic.” Ms Gray is said to have angered party whips by attempting to give them orders, and is blamed for driving Sir Keir’s former political director Luke Sullivan out of the Prime Minister’s team.
Mr Sullivan, who was popular with MPs, was blocked from receiving a government role after loyally serving in opposition.
The MP continued: “She is sending the orders down, she is deciding what’s what.
“Whether it’s six weeks or six months, she’s got to go.”
The PM’s approval ratings have hit their lowest ever level, according to pollsters Opinium. Half of those quizzed disapprove of his performance, with just 24 per cent approving – a fall of 13 points in a fortnight.
Denne historien er fra September 22, 2024-utgaven av Sunday Express.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 22, 2024-utgaven av Sunday Express.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Fourmidable Cole
PALMER'S SUBLIME QUARTET
TROSSARD FINDS HIS REDEMPTION
MIKEL ARTETA declared on Friday he didn't want Arsenal to be posted on YouTube \"for doing something silly\".
Labour's pledge on bone care
HEALTH Secretary Wes Streeting has once again vowed to keep his promise to transform fracture liaison services in the battle against osteoporosis.
Entertaining for a living is such a privilege people
Lucy Beaumont's on-screen relationship and subsequent break-up with husband and fellow comic Jon Richardson may have hit the headlines, but she tells RICHARD BARBER her UK tour is focused on much happier topics
Fears over auto 999 alerts sent by phone
A CORONER has issued a warning after police failed to immediately respond to an 999 alert sent by a car smash victim's iPhone.
The autism patients 'wrongly locked up'
THE SCANDAL of thousands of patients with learning disabilities and autism \"wrongly\" locked in solitary confinement will be ended, disability minister Sir Stephen Timms has pledged.
Rula: I regret not having closure with Dennis after our turbulent marriage
ACTRESS Rula Lenska has opened up about her difficult marriage to Dennis Waterman and says she regrets not having closure before his death in 2022 aged 74.
Shocking exposé of the disturbing dark world of influencer Tate's 'manosphere'
A minor kickboxer and failed reality TV star rose to become one of the world's most controversial figures, warping the minds of countless young men with his sexist ideology. But in a new book, two undercover investigators who penetrated Andrew Tate's inner circle discovered the truth is darker still.
Burnham blasts snobbery behind Blair's uni crusade
LABOUR made a \"terrible mistake\" by pushing young people to enter higher education without an ambitious plan for those not going to university, says Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Jenrick: I'll win back the red wall and kick out Keir
TORY leadership favourite Robert Jenrick today declares himself the heir to Boris Johnson with a vow to win back the \"red wall\" and kick Sir Keir Starmer out of Downing Street.