Labour on brink of civil war as Keir Starmer braces for five-way scramble for power

Allies of Wes Streeting insist the Health Secretary has the backing of enough Labour MPs

Allies of Wes Streeting have insisted the numbers backing him are “rock solid.”

The Financial Times reported last night that sources close to the Prime Minister said that Mr Streeting is “only on about 30” backers, well short of the total needed to trigger a race, adding “the herd is not as big as he thinks”.

However, sources close to the Health Secretary told The i Paper: “The numbers are rock solid.”

Mel Stride slams Rachel Reeves’s ‘absolutely abysmal’ record despite GDP win for Chancellor

Sir Mel Stride has slammed Rachel Reeves’s “absolutely abysmal” record on the economy, despite new data showing the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) rising.

Speaking to GB News, the Conservative Shadow Chancellor said he “disputed” that his opposite number was “responsible in any way for a strong economy”.

This morning, fresh figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the GDP rate for January to March 2026 rose by 0.6 per cent.

For March alone, the economy grew by 0.3 per cent despite fears from some that GDP would slip by 0.1 per cent or 0.2 per cent in response to the US-Iran war.

WATCH THE FULL CLIP HERE.

Al Carns ‘would throw his hat in the ring’ should someone trigger a Labour leadership contest

Armed Forces Minister Al Carns will join the Labour leadership race if a contest is triggers, sources have claimed.

A source close to the Birmingham Selly Oak MP told The Times: “Al Carns has said ‘he is getting on with doing his job, but if someone fires the starting gun, he isn’t afraid of gunfire”.

They added the implication was Mr Carns “would throw his hat in the ring should someone trigger a race”

Scottish Secretary says there is currently ‘no bid’ to oust Keir Starmer

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander has claimed there was no bid as yet to oust the Prime Minister.

Mr Alexander told the BBC: “For all the headlines, there is a process by which a challenge to the Labour Party leadership can be conducted, and that process hasn’t been triggered.”

While he admitted “these are difficult days” for the party across the UK after last week’s poor election performance, he added the Prime Minister had been “clear” that he accepted responsibility for the “very bad set of results”.

The MP for Lothian East said: “The Prime Minister has my support, I am a member of the Cabinet. I think for all of the speculation, for all of the headlines, it’s worth holding on to the fact we’ve seen twists and turns in this drama even in recent days.

“There’s a process by which a challenge to the Labour Party leadership can be conducted, and that process simply hasn’t been triggered this morning.”

Darren Jones arrives in Downing Street

The Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary Darren Jones has arrived in Downing Street.

He did not stop to answer questions from reporters before heading into No10.

Mel Stride says Conservatives are in a ‘good place’ under Kemi Badenoch

Sir Mel Stride has said the Conservatives are united in a “good place” under Kemi Badenoch as he took aim at both Reform UK and the Green Party.

The Shadow Chancellor told GB News: “Whoever ends up leading Labour, you cannot get beyond the fundamental dysfunctionality of the party in Government.

“I would argue under Kemi Badenoch we have absolute unity in the Conservative parliamentary party. We have united Shadow Cabinet. We are working with true Conservative principles. That’s the direction my party is firmly headed in.

“If you contrast that with Labour or the populist, unplanned, unthought-through giveaways that Reform and the Greens will come out with, I think we’re in a good place.”

Labour leadership contest explained: How a challenger could OUST Keir Starmer as PM faces battle in hours

A potential challenger needs the support of 20 per cent of Parliamentary Labour Party colleagues | PA/HOUSE OF COMMONS

While the Conservative Party regularly contests leadership contests, this week could soon see the first challenge to a sitting Labour Prime Minister.

Labour’s rulebook undoubtedly brings about a different challenge to whoever occupies Downing Street, with a more ambiguous set of hoops for candidates to jump through.

Our Assistant News Editor Jack Walters has a handy guide here for what could happen next and how the Labour Party’s internal leadership contest works.

Andy Burnham pulls out of radio phone in

Andy Burnham has pulled out of his regular radio phone in as speculation about the Greater Manchester Mayor’s future ramps up.

He was scheduled to appear in his usual slot on BBC Radio Manchester’s Hotseat this morning, however Mr Burnham’s spokesman confirmed had to “prioritise discussions arising from last week’s elections”.

Manchester MPs Afzal Khan and Jeff Smith had been rumoured in Westminster to be willing to make way for Mr Burnham.

But GB News understands both men have denied they were preparing to stand down.

HMRC REFUSES to confirm exactly when Angela Rayner was cleared in tax probe

HMRC has refused to confirm exactly when former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was cleared of a probe into her taxes.

When asked by GB News, a spokesman said “We don’t comment on individual cases.”

Rachel Reeves issues warning to Labour MPs over leadership contest

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said Labour MPs had an “important decision to make” as she spoke to reporters in Downing Street.

Asked if she was worried about the impact of a potential leadership race on the economic policies she has been working on these past few years, she said: “Labour MPs have got an important decision to make today.

“The numbers show that the economy is growing and that when we entered this conflict, our economy was growing strongly because of the decisions that I have made as chancellor, we shouldn’t put that at risk.”

What else is happening today?

Outside of the chaos currently engulfing the top of the Labour Party, life in Westminster goes on.

The Commons is sitting from 9.30am, with a debate on the King’s Speech from yesterday.

An adjournment debate on the impact of a third runway at Heathrow Airport will be led by Liberal Democrat Business spokeswoman and MP for Richmond Park Sarah Olney.

Economy update: UK GDP rate jumps by 0.6% despite US-Iran war in win for Rachel Reeves

UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) rate for January to March 2026 jumped by 0.6 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

For March alone, the economy grew by 0.3 per cent despite many analysts forecasts GDP to slip by 0.1 per cent or 0.2 per cent in response to the US-Iran war.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has made economic growth central to her fiscal agenda since Labour returned to Government in July 2024.

Our money reporter Patrick O’Donnell has the full story here.

Will Wes Streeting pull the trigger today?

Almost every front page is splashing on the bombshell news that Wes Streeting was preparing to quit the Cabinet, yet this morning there has been no signal from the Health Secretary’s team.

However, we don’t yet know if he has enough support from the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) to formally mount a challenge.

Allies of the Health Secretary were asking MPs to give him their votes to trigger a contest, then change allegiance once a race is underway, reports The Telegraph.

However, the Independent reports ministers aligned with Mr Streeting are on “resignation watch”, which could ramp up the pressure on Sir Keir Starmer this morning.

Despite this, a Cabinet minister loyal to the Prime Minister told the FT that Mr Streeting is “only on about 30” backers.

Labour minister outright DENIES leadership race is underway and fervently backs Keir Starmer

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury outright denied a Labour leadership race is underway this morning when confronted by news of Angela Rayner’s clearance at the hands of HMRC.

“No leadership election has been triggered,” James Murray told GB News.

“And look, I think having a leadership election would be the wrong choice for us to take as a party,” he added, pointing to reports Sir Keir Starmer would join any sort of contest.

Mr Murray added that he would “rather be talking about the King’s Speech” than any Labour civil war – and talked up his party’s Send reforms and pledges to tackle the asylum backlog.

A leadership election would be the “wrong choice” and Labour would be “looking inward” to have one, he repeated.

Then, Mr Murray claimed Labour would win the next General Election by doing what it did at the last.

Battle-lines emerge as fears of Labour civil war now reach fever pitch

The battle-lines of a potential Labour civil war have now reached a fever pitch after Angela Rayner was cleared by HMRC.

Supporters of Ms Rayner were reportedly shocked her colleagues, including Wes Streeting, were briefing against her.

They were particularly appalled supporters of the Health Secretary had accused Ms Rayner of being a “tax-dodger” in the media only a few weeks ago, Bloomberg reported.

There was also reportedly frustration towards the Ed Miliband and Andy Burnham camp, who suggested Ms Rayner could not become Prime Minister due to her personal life, and today she has denied making a deal with the Greater Manchester Mayor.

A source close to Ms Rayner has said she would run in a leadership election in order to defeat Mr Streeting if he resigns and triggers a contest today.

Although sources said she is not “dead set” on representing the left in a contest, she has said she would be willing to “play my part”.

‘Raw nerve!’ Ben Wallace reacts as Russia slaps him with ARREST WARRANT for ‘justifying terrorism’

Ben Wallace, former Defence Secretary, has reacted after Russia handed him an arrest warrant for allegedly “justifying terrorism”.

He said: “Interesting what happens when you propose a strategy that touches Putin’s raw nerve on Ukraine. The response of the Kremlin proves my point.”

The charges are believed to be linked to comments made by Sir Ben at the Warsaw Security Forum in September, where he said Vladimir Putin was “in love with the idea of dominating Ukraine” and called for Britain to help Kyiv with its long-range capabilities.

He also called for allies to “choke the life” out of Crimea and to strike the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia to the former Ukrainian territory.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Angela Rayner opens door to entering Labour leadership contest after HMRC clearance

More on this breaking story this morning: Angela Rayner has opened the door to joining a Labour leadership, should one be triggered by Wes Streeting.

“I’ll play my part in doing everything we possibly can to deliver the change, because it’s not a personal ambition, I know the difference it makes,” she told The Guardian.

“Whatever role I can play, I will keep pushing and pushing hard because I want the people out there at the moment who are really struggling… to know that I’m putting all my energy into fighting for them,” she added.

However, sources told the newspaper Ms Rayner was not “dead set” on being the left’s candidate – with Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband still rumoured to be in the race.

She also refused to rule out endorsing a soft-left rival if they had a better chance of success in any contest…

READ THE FULL STORY ON ANGELA RAYNER HERE

BREAKING: Angela Rayner is CLEARED over stamp duty scandal by HMRC just in time for Labour leadership bid

Angela Rayner has been cleared by HMRC of “deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness” over her tax affairs – the scandal which prompted her resignation as Deputy PM.

Ms Rayner has settled £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty after initially paying the lower rate, but has not paid any penalty as a result of the investigation, The Guardian has just revealed.

This is a breaking news story. We’ll bring you the latest as it happens…

Labour leadership contest explained: How challenger could OUST Keir Starmer as PM faces battle today

While the Conservative Party regularly contests leadership contests, this week could soon see the first challenge to a sitting Labour Prime Minister.

Labour’s rulebook undoubtedly brings about a different challenge to whoever occupies No10, with a more ambiguous set of hoops for candidates to jump through.

A potential challenger needs the support of 20 per cent of Parliamentary Labour Party colleagues, totalling 81 MPs given Sir Keir Starmer’s majority…

READ THE FULL LABOUR EXPLAINER HERE

Al Carns ‘brings Labour leadership race from four to five’

Veterans Minister Al Carns is thought to be preparing his own bid to stand for the Labour leadership.

The Mr Carns is said to be ready to join any tussle for party power, with his allies telling the BBC he would likely stand if Wes Streeting were to trigger a leadership contest.

He also wrote an article in the New Statesman yesterday entitled “How Labour Can Win Again” – a pice viewed as a future leadership pitch.

Mr Carns wrote that the Labour Party “was founded to give ordinary working people security, dignity and bargaining power over their lives.

“That is exactly what I believe, and it must be our mission again. We do not need more slogans, strategies, press releases or commissions. We need action,” he added.

“The insecurity facing working people today may look different from the factory-floor struggles of the past – but emotionally, it is rooted in the same experience,” the decorated Birmingham Selly Oak MP wrote.

“It stems from the feeling that ordinary people are carrying all the risk while having less and less control over their lives.”

Across the pond… Pete Hegseth removes Britain from list of US allies after Keir Starmer’s failure to support Iran war

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has chastised Britain once again for its failure to support America’s offensive in Iran.

In a damning written statement to Congress, Mr Hegseth said allies’ refusal to join in was “unconscionable” – and warned: “We will remember.”

He then threatened “consequences” would follow for Nato members which “do not step up”.

Mr Hegseth said Nato had become “beset by free-riding” in the wake of the Cold War, and called on allies to “step up and make good on their commitments to our collective defence”.

“Not all allies have gotten the message, and where they do not step up, there will be consequences,” he said…

READ THE FULL STORY HERE