Starmer refuses to go: Crazy? Or courageous?
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is a Global Player original podcast.
Keir Starmer has defied his critics and told them he's going nowhere. Is that stubbornness or is it bravery?
His colleagues believe that he is the instability, that his lack of politics, his lack of direction... is what is causing the lack of authority for Labour to govern.
Why is Keir Starmer defying calls to resign?
Does he feel less like Labour has left the nation of the psychodrama? Everyone knows that a lot of the people who have called on him to go are basically Wes's people. Streeting has pulled the lever. Now or never, is he going to go for it? What happens now?
The tone it feels has shifted even throughout the morning. I mean, I also think, I think Darren Jones had a really different... Where's Streeting? Where's Streeting? Did you call on Starmer to resign? And here we have Lisa Nandy.
Where's Streeting is being asked for comment. Where's Streeting has said nothing for days. So is West Streeting at the centre of whatever movement is currently going on? And is the Prime Minister waiting for him to challenge?
Prime Minister told his Cabinet colleagues this morning, in no uncertain terms, that he is going nowhere. Has Keir Starmer faced down his critics? Welcome to The News Agents. The News Agents.
It's Maitlis.
It's Lewis. And we're recording this at about two o'clock in the afternoon. So by definition.
Fools that we are.
Fools that we are. Turns out podcast isn't absolutely ideal for rolling news. Nonetheless, a lot of that has happened since we were last with you. And doubtless a lot is going to happen next as well. So where we are as of right now is that the prime minister, the thing that we've really learned since we last spoke to you was that there was a strong possibility that the prime minister would respond to the 80 or so MPs who have called on him at some point, not all saying right now, but at some point to go to set out a timetable who say they no longer have confidence in him. It was entirely possible and credible that he would have gone to cabinet this morning and said, I've listened to the parliamentary party.
Here's my timetable. I'm not going right now, but maybe by party conference. We now know that the prime minister is not doing that. He has basically said to his cabinet and his party, if you want me out of the door, I will be doing so, kicking and screaming to the last. He says he will not step down and that no leadership contest has been triggered. We understand from this cabinet meeting that that the prime minister basically said, started the meeting by saying that he was aware of some of the disquiet. But this was a very serious meeting about substance, including what is going on with the Iran war, cost pressures and so on. And if anybody had a problem or wanted to say something to him about his leadership, they could do so after the meeting.
We then understand that the Prime Minister scarpered pretty quickly. And it was very clear that if anyone did have a problem, they weren't able to speak to him after Cabinet. After that time, Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, very widely respected inside the Labour Party, became the second minister to resign, talking about catastrophic mistakes made by the government. That followed or followed on from another minister early in the morning. And Jess Phillips' letter was incredible. Particularly devastating, I think, because it set out in detail, not so much the ideological problems with the Prime Minister, but something you hear again and again, which is that the Prime Minister doesn't have an ideology to begin with, which is impeding the government.
She said, you talk about the need for an argument, but you didn't make one. The desire not to have an argument means we rarely have an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed. And in that, I can tell you, she's speaking for a lot of Labour MPs.
Look, I think the Jess Phillips letter changes this conversation and this whole scenario more than possibly anything else in the last 24 hours. And we'll come on to analysing a little bit more what she says and the force of her words.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:02–0:21
2
Why is Keir Starmer defying calls to resign?
0:21–7:14
3
What impact does Jess Phillips' resignation have on Starmer's leadership?
7:14–10:29
4
How is the Labour Party responding to Starmer's leadership challenges?
10:29–16:29
5
What role does West Streeting play in the current political turmoil?
16:29–19:28
6
How does Starmer's defiance affect Labour's stability?
19:28–23:11
7
What are the implications of Andy Burnham's potential candidacy?
23:11–27:59
8
How do the cabinet's reactions reflect the party's internal conflicts?
27:59–39:35