Downing Street is preparing to defend the prime minister from any attempt to remove him in a coup, with a number of ministers being proposed as a possible successor.
Sir Keir Starmer has been subject to months of rumours that he could be replaced as Labour continue to tank in the polls under his leadership. Several reports on Tuesday evening suggested the prime minister’s position could be challenged after the Budget later this month or next year’s local elections in May.
Sources claimed health secretary Wes Streeting has made moves to replace Sir Keir and loyalists within No 10 are said to fear his job could be under threat.
Mr Streeting, who is due to appear on the morning media round for the government on Wednesday, has denied the claims, but other names are also said to be in the frame.
One senior figure told The Independent that the highly respected defence secretary John Healey is being put forward as “a continuity candidate” and “safe pair of hands”.
Meanwhile, home secretary Shabana Mahmood is another name in contention, while the left of the party is looking for former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner to make a comeback or energy secretary Ed Miliband to have a second go as leader.
Speculation has mounted over the prime minister’s future as Labour dropped to fifth in one poll behind the Greens. The party has failed to recover after rapidly losing support after winning the election. It is now averaging below 20 per cent in the polls, while Reform UK sit on more than 30 per cent.
Dissatisfaction in Labour over attempts to cut the welfare bill, foot dragging on child benefit and an attempt to remove winter fuel payments from more than 10 million pensioners has seen a backlash in the party, with a major rebellion by MPs just before the summer.
This has culminated with sacked cabinet minister Lucy Powell winning the deputy leadership contest in a campaign where she strongly criticised the leadership under Sir Keir.
A senior party figure said: “A number of names are being banded about. John Healey has come up a lot in the last week but we know Shabana Mahmood is looking at the top job. Wes [Streeting] is definitely on manoeuvres though.”
An ally of Ms Rayner said that this side of Christmas was “maybe too soon” for a leadership bid after being forced to resign over failing to pay stamp duty on her flat in Hove, East Sussex, but did not rule out her “having a go anyway”.
A Downing Street source said that early reports of a potential coup had been “overwritten”.
They added: “Would the PM fight a challenge? Of course. Would any challenge be irresponsible? Yes. But all completely hypothetical. Wes is a brilliant health secretary.”
A spokesperson for Mr Streeting said the claims he is plotting to replace Sir Keir “are categorically untrue”.
He added: “Wes’s focus has entirely been on cutting waiting lists for the first time in 15 years, recruiting 2,500 more GPs, and rebuilding the NHS that saved his life.”
However, Sir Keir ’s biographer questioned the logic of those who had been briefing from within the corridors of power.
Tom Baldwin, a former journalist known to be close to the prime minister, wrote on social media: “I’m at a loss to understand why anyone would think this sort of briefing will help Keir Starmer, the government, or even their own cause.
“Some people just can’t resist, I guess, but it’s all a bit nuts.”
