Labour is expected to be plunged into a three-way battle for control of the party and the country tomorrow as Wes Streeting finally challenges Sir Keir Starmer for power.
The Prime Minister went on the offensive tonight, warning MPs that he will fight any attempt by the Health Secretary to kick him out of No10 and it would paralyse the country.
They are also expected to be joined in the fight by a challenger from the Left of the party – and it could be former party leader Ed Miliband.
The Net Zero Secretary has been tipped with a run if Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham cannot find a Westminster seat in time to run himself.
It would be an astonishing pitch for the top job by an MP derided when party leader more than a decade ago, whose green agenda is seen as divisive.
The Prime Minister and his allies are understood to have been holding meetings with rebellious backbenchers in Parliament this afternoon, ahead of an expected move by the Health Secretary tomorrow.
They are said to have laid out the chaos that would ensue from any challenge, with the Government unable to achieve anything for months while politicians are distracted by the campaign.
But reports suggest Mr Burnham has found a Labour MP willing to quit their Westminster seat to allow him to run.
He could announce his own campaign as soon as tomorrow, although he would still need a by-election can be called in time for him to take part.
Wes Streeting raised his eyebrows awkwardly as the PM used his King’s Speech response to make a pointed reference to people assembling ‘lists of MPs’
Wes Streeting has told allies that he is ready to resign and pull the trigger on a challenge as soon as tomorrow
It came after Mr Streeting squirmed uncomfortably in a packed Commons as Sir Keir poked fun at his coup attempt.
The Health Secretary raised his eyebrows awkwardly as the PM used his King’s Speech response to make a gag about people assembling ‘lists of MPs’.
That was an unsubtle reference to the rolling tally of backbenchers calling for his resignation – now well over 90.
The surreal exchange came with Mr Streeting poised to pull the pin on the Labour leadership grenade by quitting tomorrow to launch a challenge.
Mr Streeting was still on the Government front bench this afternoon for the Commons debate. Mr Streeting seemed to be getting the cold shoulder from Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson as he tried to strike up conversation.
Sir Keir begged MPs not to ‘sink into the politics of division’ as he unveiled the new legislative programme.
But questions are raging over whether he will stay in No 10 long enough to implement the measures.
Experts have warned of market panic over the chaos at the heart of Government.
There are fears that interest rates on gilts – the main way the Government borrows money – and sterling could ‘move rapidly into crisis territory’.
Mr Streeting’s bid to unseat the premier ramped up after they had a brutally short 16-minute meeting in No10 this morning.
Sir Keir said: ‘The gracious speech was brilliantly proposed by my honourable friend, the member for Bradford West (Naz Shah).
‘Members across the House will have read her remarkable new book. Her list of endorsements is truly impressive, reaching well over 100 members – at last, a list that we could all get behind.’
In a sign of the PM’s weakness, Downing Street said he had ‘full confidence’ in Mr Streeting this afternoon despite the obvious plotting.
The Cabinet minister was notably absent from the frontbench in the Commons as MPs waited for the King to arrive earlier, with Sir Keir flanked by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Rachel Reeves.
He later appeared standing by the Speaker’s chair, and filed through to the Lords to watch the Speech next to Tory James Cleverly.
Allies had committed to staying silent today to avoid embarrassing the King, but his intentions leaked out shortly after the abortive talks with Sir Keir.
A senior Government source told the Daily Mail: ‘Yes, it’s happening. Wes is definitely going for it.’
The Prime Minister and his allies are understood to have been holding meetings with rebellious backbenchers in Parliament this afternoon
Another Labour aide said: ‘I don’t see how they can not after all this briefing.’
The news sent Government borrowing costs – which are close to 28-year highs – spiking again.
Kemi Badenoch launched a merciless assault on the Labour shambles in her response to the Speech.
Taking aim at Mr Streeting, she said: ‘Why don’t you just do your job?’
‘All we have is a load of re-announced policies. Hounding our brave veterans through the courts, legislating for digital ID, a policy they told us they dropped, banning trail hunting, just more class war that makes no one’s life better, scrapping NHS England, something the Prime Minister announced 14 months ago,’ she said.
‘But then I suppose the Health Secretary has been a bit distracted lately, hasn’t he? He’s chuntering now, why don’t you just do your job? Do your job.’
As Mr Streeting barracked her from the other benches, Mrs Badenoch added: ‘There’s no point in giving me dirty looks. We all know what he’s been up to.’
Tackling Sir Keir – who sat flicking uncomfortably through his folder – the Tory leader said: ‘I know the convention is for this to be a light-hearted debate, but as I have already said, this is a highly unusual moment.
‘The Prime Minister is in office, but not in power. Everyone is trying to pretend it’s all right. It’s not all right.
‘In the past 48 hours, nearly 100 Labour MPs have called for the Prime Minister to resign. Four ministers have quit.
‘It is clear his authority has gone and that he will not be able to deliver what little there is in this King’s Speech.
‘This is a Government less than two years in office, which has already run out of ideas and run out of road.’
The King’s Speech package of 35 Bills – and several draft Bills – includes moves to cosy up to the EU, as well as boost the push for Net Zero.
However, there is no fresh attempt slated to curb benefits spending – after mutinous MPs crashed the last one.
There is also only a passing mention of ‘sustained’ defence spending increases, with no timetable for publishing the long-awaited investment plan.
And questions have been raised over the lack of references to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s settlement rights overhaul – which has infuriated many of Sir Keir’s critics.
Among the measures in the Speech today:
- An EU Partnership Bill would give ministers sweeping powers to adopt Brussels rules without the Commons voting;
- A Peerages Removal Bill could see Peter Mandelson targeted to have his title formally taken away;
- The Government has again committed to a ‘conversion practices’ Bill, but only a draft rather than full legislation;
- Net Zero measures feature heavily in a win for Ed Miliband – seen as a key powerbroker in the Labour leadership struggle.
The King on the State Throne next to the Queen today as he prepared to give the speech
Mr Streeting was notably absent in the Commons as frontbenchers waited for the monarch to arrive, with Sir Keir flanked by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Rachel Reeves
The premier has come under fire for putting the King in a difficult position, having to conduct the State Opening amid a full-blown Labour civil war.
The Speech was scheduled for today seemingly as a ‘firebreak’ following local elections, but the tactic has failed to subdue fury at the drubbing.
Sir Keir had a showdown with Mr Streeting, widely believed to be behind the insurrection, in Downing Street this morning.
However, the Health Secretary exited grim-faced after just 16 minutes, having seemingly found no common ground.
In his introduction to the Speech package, Sir Keir played up the global ‘volatility’ with the Iran and Ukraine wars causing chaos.
The PM – who has warned that his ousting would fuel the turmoil on markets – promised to ‘continue our work to stabilise the economy and support people with the cost of living’.
Apparently delivering a message to his own restive MPs, Sir Keir said: ‘At moments like these, we face a choice.
‘We can choose to sink into the politics of grievance and division. Or we can choose to see it as an opportunity to deliver on the change we promised the British people.’
He said the Government would end defence ‘austerity’ and ‘stand strong with Nato’, despite tensions with Donald Trump. But Sir Keir only said ministers will ‘push ahead’ with the Defence Investment Plan, without revealing when.
He said there was now ‘greater urgency’ for change, including ‘setting a new direction for Britain at the next EU summit’. ‘Putting Britain at the heart of Europe,’ he added.
The PM’s band of allies had dismissed the discussion with Mr Streeting as a ‘quick cup of coffee’ beforehand, jibing that he did not have the numbers or the ‘nerve’ to challenge.
The party’s union paymasters waded into the row this morning, releasing a joint statement calling for a more Left-wing agenda.
‘It’s clear that the Prime Minister will not lead Labour into the next election, and at some stage a plan will have to be put in place for the election of a new leader,’ the affiliated unions said.
Ominously for Sir Keir, the next batch of Mandelson documents is due to be released as early as next week.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner are both circling as the question of who will succeed Sir Keir dominates MPs’ discussions.
Nigel Green of financial advisory group deVere said: ‘Should Wes Streeting resign tomorrow and launch a leadership challenge, gilts and sterling could move rapidly into crisis territory.
‘The markets hate uncertainty, but they hate political vacuum even more.
‘A Cabinet resignation followed by a leadership fight would signal that the government is losing control of itself while investors are already questioning the country’s fiscal direction.’
High drama at Westminster yesterday saw four Labour ministers resign, saying they no longer had confidence in the premier.
The number of Labour MPs calling for him to go rose to 90, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was forced to deny she is on the brink of quitting after telling the PM to set out a timetable for his departure.
Keir Starmer and wife Victoria left to watch the King’s Speech just as the heavens opened in Westminster
What happens first, Streeting walks or Starmer digs in?
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Taxpayers will struggle to see the government’s legislative agenda as either ambitious or a break with the status quo.
‘With frontline services continuing to falter and the tax burden hurtling towards a record high, the government seems to be more interested in expanding the quangocracy, pushing forward with nationalisation, and ignoring the ballooning welfare bill.
‘This government’s programme wallows in the mire of mediocrity and perfectly encapsulates Keir Starmer’s time in office. Taxpayers deserve better.’
