‘Could do a better job than Keir Starmer’: who could replace the PM if he is forced out?

With Keir Starmer’s poll ratings getting worse and the Labour party alarmed by the prospect of wipeout at next May’s local elections, there is much speculation at Westminster about whether he can last the course.

The prime minister is bullish about the prospect of standing aside for another candidate, saying he has defied his detractors before and would do so again. But with many on his own side fearing that he doesn’t have what it takes to turn things around, he may not have the chance.

The jostling among those who may wish to replace him – or whose allies believe they’d do a better job – continues…

Angela Rayner

Timing is everything in politics. When Downing Street unleashed an extraordinary bout of leadership speculation amid fears Starmer was vulnerable to a challenge after the b