GB News interrupted for breaking alert as Keir Starmer’s grip ‘crumbles’

GB News star Olivia Utley predicts challenges ahead for Keir Starmer following Lucy Powell’s election as Labour’s new deputy leader. GB News was interrupted for a “breaking” update on the leadership contest, with Ms Powell receiving 87,407 votes compared to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s 73,536. Speaking about Powell’s triumphant win, Utley said: “I think this is a huge headache for Keir Starmer. This is obviously not what he wanted. He’s sacked Lucy Powell from his Cabinet just eight weeks ago and she has run this campaign on a ticket to undermine Keir Starmer.

“She believes that the way Keir Starmer runs his Cabinet is too cliquey, too inward-looking. It doesn’t listen to members and MPs. She said she wants to make sure that the Labour Party leader is listening. In her victory speech, there were quite a lot of thinly veiled digs at Keir Starmer.”

During her speech, Powell claimed Reform UK’s Nigel Farage had been able to run away with the “political megaphone” and said people believe the Labour Government has not been “bold enough” in delivering change since winning power last year.

Speaking to presenter Dawn Neesom, Utley continued: “I think this is going to be really tricky for Keir Starmer. You can easily imagine a situation where, for example, Keir Starmer decides they have to do something about welfare payments and he tries to introduce another bill.

“Labour MPs don’t really like the sound of it, they start whispering on the backbenches, then Lucy Powell, the elected deputy leader of the party, does a media round where she sounds a little bit dubious too about the idea of welfare cuts, and then you have a place for all of those Labour rebels to coalesce around.”

The political correspondent added: “I think this is trouble for Keir Starmer.”

Questioning the prime minister’s sincerity following Powell’s appointment as Labour’s new deputy leader, Utley remarked: “Keir Starmer stood up and said that he’s delighted to be working with Lucy Powell. If he finds her such a delight to work with then why did he sack her from the Cabinet eight weeks before?”

Reacting to the news, one person wrote: “Starmer’s iron grip crumbles as sacked Lucy Powell snatches Labour’s deputy crown, defeating Phillipson in a bitter race sparked by Rayner’s exit.”

Another fumed: “Another narrow-minded liebour village idiot. Lucy Powell still not grasping that the British public are done with liebour & that will not be changing anytime soon. The country wants them gone, nothing they can say or do will change that. You constantly undermine the British.”