Labour think tank that supported Starmer asks members who they would back in leadership challenge
Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailGet our free View from Westminster emailThe think tank that ran Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership campaign is canvassing party members on candidates to replace him, in yet another sign of trouble for the beleaguered prime minister. Labour Together, a think tank previously run by Sir Keir’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, asked activists this weekend for their opinions on Labour leadership contenders amid growing concern over the direction of the government and devastating approval ratings.In a survey sent to local Labour parties, seen by The Times, members were asked to name politicians who stood “the best chance of leading Labour to electoral victory at the next general election” compared with Sir Keir. open image in galleryThink tank Labour Together is also planning to share the results of the survey with the Labour leadership (PA)They were also reportedly asked to rank those they would be likely to back in a leadership race. Alongside Sir Keir, eight Labour politicians were named, including cabinet ministers Wes Streeting, Shabana Mahmood, Bridget Phillipson, Ed Miliband and Darren Jones. Also listed were former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell. It is understood that the survey covered a range of issues alongside leadership, with a Labour Together source telling The Independent the survey was a “methodological experiment” to “benchmark against existing recent polling”. Labour Together is also planning to share the results of the survey with the Labour leadership, it is understood. open image in galleryPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has backed ‘hugely talented’ Angela Rayner to return to cabinet (PA)It comes just days after Sir Keir said the “hugely talented” Ms Rayner will return to his cabinet amid growing speculation she could make a bid for the Labour leadership. There have been reports that she could run on a joint ticket with Mr Streeting to challenge the prime minister. When asked if he missed his former deputy, Sir Keir said: “Yes, of course I do. I was really sad that we lost her. As I said to her at the time, she’s going to be a major voice in the Labour movement.”Pressed as to whether she will be back in the cabinet, he added: “Yes. She’s hugely talented.”In a wide-ranging interview with The Observer, Sir Keir also insisted that he had no intention of stepping aside before the next election.He said: “When I took over the Labour Party, everyone said to me, ‘You’re not going to be able to change the party.’ We ignored that and carried on.“Then they said to me, ‘You’re not going to be able to win an election.’ We got a landslide Labour victory. Now, 17 months into a five-year Labour term, they say ‘You’re not able to change the country.’“Every time we’ve been in this position, we’ve defied them. And that’s what I intend to do.”Over the weekend, No 10 was forced to deny reports that the former deputy PM had been offered the job of education secretary in order to stave off a leadership bid, saying the claims were “highly speculative”.Sources had told the Daily Mail she was resisting the offer in order to prepare her own bid for Downing Street.And in a damning sign of the mood music in the Parliamentary Labour Party, there were reports over the weekend that Labour MPs are referring to Sir Keir as a “caretaker prime minister”.Earlier this week, a source close to the former deputy prime minister said she will “not be played like a pawn” after reports of a deal for Ms Rayner and Mr Streeting to run for the Labour leadership.The source said “there is no vacancy and there is no pact”, after The Telegraph reported that allies of Mr Streeting were pressing Ms Rayner to sign up to a “joint ticket” for the top job.Allies of Ms Rayner have previously slammed “false” claims that she is eyeing up a Labour leadership bid, with the ex-deputy PM insisting she has “not gone away” when asked about a return to frontline politics.The Independent has contacted Labour Together for comment. The Labour Party declined to comment.
