Keir Starmer has been urged to sack Ed Miliband for plotting against him.
Allies of Sir Keir accused the Energy Secretary of coordinating efforts to force him out of No 10, while privately canvassing support to succeed him as prime minister.
Mr Miliband has publicly ruled out running to succeed Sir Keir, saying that his fraught experience as Labour leader has ‘inoculated’ him against ever wanting the job again.
But Labour MPs say he is quietly sounding out potential supporters if a quick leadership contest is triggered in which Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham cannot take part.
Mr Miliband has not denied reports that he warned Sir Keir weeks ago that he should set out a timetable for his departure if Labour suffered a meltdown at the local elections.
Sources claim he has also been encouraging other ministers to tell the PM to quit – and encouraging MPs to speak out against him.
His protege, Miatta Fahnbulleh, was one of four ministers who resigned this week, although she insisted she had not been prompted to do so by Mr Miliband.
An insider said: ‘Ed has behaved disgracefully throughout. He has been pushing people to go to the PM and tell him it’s time to go.
Ed Miliband has publicly ruled out running to succeed Sir Keir, saying that his fraught experience as Labour leader has ‘inoculated’ him against ever wanting the job again
Allies of Sir Keir Starmer have accused the Energy Secretary of co–ordinating efforts to force him out of No 10, while privately canvassing support to succeed him as prime minister
‘He is telling everyone that Angela [Rayner] is not up to it and that if there is a quick contest he will have to be the candidate of the Left.
‘It is so out of touch – he seems to be hoping that people will just forget he led the party to disaster.
‘And all the while he keeps his head below the parapet and makes out that he is not interested in being PM.’
One Labour MP loyal to Sir Keir said: ‘The PM should sack Ed, even if it’s the last thing he does, in the same way Boris Johnson sacked [Michael] Gove at the end. He has been behind a lot of the destabilising activity.’
Mr Miliband is one of several senior Cabinet ministers who have yet to offer their public support to Sir Keir following last week’s disastrous local election results.
He led Labour from 2010 – and on to a crushing defeat by David Cameron’s Conservatives in 2015.
