IT was a political kamikaze for the ages as Wes Streeting blew up Keir Starmer’s premiership – and his own chances along with it.
We had expected the leadership wannabe to quit the Cabinet and immediately launch his own claim on .
Rivals insist Streeting never had enough support to trigger a contest Credit: Reuters
Sir Keir’s premiership is now under more pressure than ever Credit: PA
But by mid-morning it was clear his campaign was spluttering, and that something wasn’t right.
Rival camps insist he did not – and never had – the 81 MPs required to trigger a contest against the .
Team are adamant that they did – and do – have sufficient support and will enter any coming race.
But talk is cheap, and it is hard to see how does not emerge from today a diminished contender, no matter how talented a politician he may be.
Getting the MPs on board was supposed to be the easy part before the trickier hurdle of winning with Labour’s left-wing members. Doing both now looks a tall task.
Yet the smooth operator did two things that could have sealed Starmer’s fate.
The first was obviously the highly critical attack on the PM’s record. His criticism of “drift” and “vacuum” will strike a chord with exasperated colleagues.
This was not a surprise given he was already past the point of no return having made clear he was heading for the door.
But the second was to throw his weight behind an orderly timetable for the to be replaced, rather than a rushed contest.
must not believe his luck, given he had feared being frozen out of the race by a rapid leadership election.
Now he has time to find a route back to Westminster, if he can overcome the small matter of getting an MP in a winnable seat to stand down for him.
But surprise decision to hold off pulling the trigger could spell curtains for .
Until now allies of had a vested interest in keeping the PM in No10.
Yet if all leadership camps now agree in letting him into a drawn-out race, there is nothing stopping them moving in for the kill.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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