Keir Starmer Leads Cabinet Meeting Amid Rising Strains Following Exit of Senior Adviser
Good morning. Keir Starmer is leading a government meeting this morning following the departure of his deputy prime minister, his ambassador to the US, and his strategy chief all within less than a 14 days.
Parliament begins a month-long recess this evening, which brings some respite. With lawmakers away from Parliament, they are unlikely to engage in dissident activity.
Prior to their departure, lawmakers will spend three hours in a debate on Peter Mandelson, which is likely to focus on whether the Prime Minister was correct to select him initially and whether he has been fully candid about what he knew regarding communications to a controversial figure when he supported the ambassador last week.
Additionally, there’s more bad news for Starmer this today. A poll of party supporters suggests:
- Just one quarter of them feel the party is moving in the right direction.
- Only 26% of them have a favourable opinion of the leader, against 59% who view him unfavourably.
- A former minister, who was dismissed by the Prime Minister as leader of the Commons, has a significant advantage over the education secretary, in the race to be deputy leader. She is viewed as the pro-leader candidate, while Powell is seen as the choice for members who want to express some dissent.
Surveys are subject to error, party membership polling are particularly difficult, and in some respects the views of supporters are not highly significant at the moment.
The chances of a contest in the near future still look minimal, and even if the candidate were to win the deputy leadership, the post holds almost no formal power within the party.
Nevertheless, the polling appears good.
The Day’s Agenda
- Morning: Keir Starmer chairs cabinet.
- Morning: He meets relatives of people killed at a tragic event to mark the publication of the public office accountability bill.
- Morning: Kemi Badenoch is on a visit in London.
- Late morning: David Lammy takes questions in the Commons.
- Noon: Sarah Jones gives a speech to the a law enforcement group.
- Midday: Downing Street holds a press conference.
- Afternoon: Wes Streeting visits the London Ambulance Service.
- After 12.30pm: MPs begin a lengthy emergency debate on the appointment process and events leading to the removal of the former envoy to the US.
Survey results can be unreliable, particularly when sampling a small group such as party members.
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