Thursday, May 21Thursday, May 21Keir Starmer’s Leadership and Labour’s Internal Politics Amid Brexit Legacy
Keir Starmer, the UK’s current prime minister, is facing growing internal challenges within the Labour Party, with rivals positioning themselves for a potential leadership contest. His leadership has been described as increasingly precarious, with senior figures like Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, and former health secretary Wes Streeting emerging as potential successors. Burnham’s upcoming participation in the Makerfield by-election on June 18 is seen as a critical test of his viability as a leadership candidate, offering him a route back into Parliament to challenge Starmer .
Starmer’s premiership has been marked by efforts to reset the UK’s relationship with the European Union, though critics argue his approach remains cautious and limited to "tinkering at the margins." The failure of Brexit to deliver promised benefits has left British politics in a prolonged crisis, with the UK’s strategic position weakened by geopolitical shifts, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the unpredictability of US foreign policy under Donald Trump. Despite this, any significant renegotiation of Brexit terms remains politically taboo .
Labour’s Shifting Stance on Brexit and Europe The uncertainty surrounding Starmer’s political future has reignited debates within Labour about the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU. While Starmer has moved toward closer cooperation and "dynamic alignment" with the EU, some potential successors, including Burnham, are reportedly considering more ambitious proposals, including speculation about eventual re-entry into the bloc . Wes Streeting, in his resignation speech, explicitly called Brexit a "damaging mistake" and warned that Labour risks losing to populist nationalism if it fails to deliver bold change .
Internal Labour Dynamics and Future Leadership The Labour Party is in a transitional phase, with informal leadership jockeying already underway. Burnham is widely seen as the frontrunner to replace Starmer, with key allies like Ed Miliband (potential chancellor) and Lucy Powell (potential deputy PM) positioning themselves for roles in a future Burnham administration. Meanwhile, Starmer’s team is attempting to maintain momentum, with loyalists pushing for policy achievements before any potential leadership change. However, insiders describe the atmosphere in Downing Street as increasingly unstable, with ministers scrambling to secure their legacies or align with Burnham’s camp .
Controversies and Scrutiny of Starmer’s Leadership Starmer’s leadership has also faced scrutiny over his team’s involvement in an investigation into journalists critical of the Labour Together thinktank. Documents reveal that his former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, was briefed on the probe, raising questions about the administration’s handling of press freedom . These controversies add to the perception of a government in decline, with some analysts predicting the UK could face its sixth leadership change in a decade amid ongoing political instability .
> Background: **Labours Brexit divisions deepen as Starmer faces leadership pressure ahead of Makerfield vote.** — *2 days ago*
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Machtkampf bei Labour: Starmer zeigt einen neuen Elan Der britische Premierminister gibt sich locker und verteilt Geldgeschenke. Sein Konkurrent Andy Burnham versucht, sich auf seinen Wahlkreis zu konzentrieren.
faz · about 8 hours ago
Starmers top advisers knew about indefensible journalists probe, documents reveal PMs former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, among aides briefed on investigation into reporters writing about Labour TogetherKeir Starmers most senior advisers were briefed about an indefensible investigation into journalists writing critical pieces about the Labour Together thinktank, according to a newly released document.Among the aides who received updates on the probe, commissioned by the thinktanks director, Josh Simons, were Morgan McSweeney, the former chief of staff to the prime minister. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 8 hours ago
The Guardian view on Britain and Europe: a changing world demands new terms of debate | Editorial The world has changed dramatically since the Brexit referendum and politics needs to catch upThe spectacle of a prime minister clinging to power while his party grows increasingly desperate for a replacement is painfully familiar from the end of the last Tory government. British politics feels trapped in a loop. This condition is not wholly a result of Brexit, but the failure of that project is a significant part of it. None of the benefits promised in the referendum by the leave campaign have materialised. It is all downside, but political discussion of any significant rewriting of the terms of departure is taboo. Sir Keir Starmers reset of European relations is mostly tinkering at the margins.Meanwhile, the strategic calculus has changed entirely since 2016. Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine exposed European complacency about continental defence and energy security. Donald Trumps aggressive contempt for old allies makes it clear that they cannot depend on the US for protection. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 8 hours ago
From Brexit to Bre-entry? The uncertainty surrounding Keir Starmers political future has reopened a debate Labour had tried hard to avoid: Britains long term relationship with the European Union. Starmer himself had already shifted considerably towards closer cooperation and dynamic alignment with the EU. Some potential future Labour leaders are now going further still, openly speculating on the possibility […]
brussels morning · about 9 hours ago
High-stakes Makerfield by-election set for June 18 Contest could give Andy Burnham — who has eyes on the Labour leadership — a route back into parliament to challenge Keir Starmer.
politico.eu · about 11 hours ago
Labour must be bolder or it will lose, Streeting says in resignation speech In first speech since quitting cabinet, Streeting says party must deliver change or it will hand keys of No 10 to ReformUK politics live – latest updatesLabour must be bolder and deliver real change, Wes Streeting has said in his first Commons speech since resigning as health secretary, saying that he quit the government because it was currently losing the fight against populist nationalism.Streeting reiterated his view that leaving the EU had been a damaging mistake for the UK, and argued that young people had been let down by a system stacked against them. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 11 hours ago
Streeting says he resigned because Labour in fight of our lives against nationalism, and is currently losing – UK politics live Former health secretary standing down after saying he no longer had confidence in Keir Starmer as PMLabour is in a curious, transitional state at the moment. Officially Keir Starmer is committed to staying as leader and prime minister until the next election. There is no formal leadership contest underway. But, informally, it has already started, with Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting already setting out their offer to the Labour membership. We will hear more from Streeting this afternoon. But much of the parliamentary party is already working on the basis that a Burnham premiership is all-but-inevitable, and so Streetings interventions may turn out to be more about shoring up his position in a potential future Burnham administration than a rehearsal for an election that may never happen.Here are some of the stories out today covering Starmer, Burnham and Streeting.Ailbhe Rea in the New Statesman says an insider describes the atmosphere in No 10 now as very, very odd. She says:Starmer and his remaining loyal cabinet ministers want to make every day that they are still in office count, and are determined to cut through the noise of the leadership drama. Many cabinet ministers, who may not survive long in their posts if Starmer is replaced as Prime Minister, are desperate to set a legacy and bank achievements in their briefs while they can. Lets get out there and make the case for what were doing, has been Starmers message to colleagues. There is even a fleeting hope inside Downing Street that the leadership speculation burns itself out, that Wes and Andy tearing chunks out of each other for weeks might just make Keir look better. But even many loyalists accept that is wishful thinking. The writing is on the wall, even if we dont know exactly what form that takes yet, one concludes.Patrick Maguire, Geraldine Scott and Larisa Brown in the Times say Starmer could stay in Downing Street until early next year. They report:Ministers familiar with Starmers thinking say he has no plans to step down before the Labour Party conference in September and is unlikely to relinquish office before Christmas.They told The State of It, the political podcast from The Times and Sunday Times, that there were still significant obstacles ahead for Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, who on Tuesday refused to rule out breaking Labours manifesto pledge against tax rises.Caroline Wheeler in the i says cabinet ministers are already angling for jobs in a Burnham administration. She says:Senior ministers are preparing visits to Makerfield amid growing expectations in Westminster that Burnham could ultimately take the Labour leadership – and with it the power to appoint the next Cabinet.The equation cabinet ministers are making is that if they go and he wins they will get a plum job, one senior source said. If they dont go and he wins, he will remember. And if they dont go and he loses, he will remember.Many now believe that Burnham is lining up to make Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, as his chancellor. It comes as Milibands special adviser was seconded to work with Burnham for the by-election campaign …Burnham is also widely expected to make Lucy Powell, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, his deputy prime minister. Multiple sources said that other women likely to be given top jobs include Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, and Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary, who is also the co-chair of the influential soft-left Tribune group of MPs.Sam Blewett at Politico has taken an in-depth look at the team supporting Burnham. He says the key figure is Kevin Lee, director of the Greater Manchester mayors office, who has been advising Burnham with little break since 2010. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 12 hours ago
Starmers team was updated on think-tanks investigation into journalists PMs former chief of staff among aides who received updates on probe in run-up to 2024 general election
financial times · about 13 hours ago
The flavour crisis: a satirists exposé on the origins of broken Britain Whether its the traditional boiled diet, a dental epidemic or white-winged extremism, Patrick Gathara explains why political turmoil is engulfing the UKDont already get The Long Wave in your inbox? Sign up hereThe UK has been in a state of political crisis for months, but recent local elections have resulted in the most serious challenge yet to the countrys prime minister and ruling elites, with experts predicting the UK could be facing its sixth regime change in 10 years amid tribal disputes and separatist movements.To make sense of it all, I spoke to the Nairobi-based British affairs satirist Patrick Gathara about the future of the island Kingdom of Britain. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 14 hours ago