LABOUR leadership rivals ready to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the party crown should “give their head a gentle wobble”, a Cabinet Minister warns.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander warned that they would be following the Tories’ mistake of “descending into political infighting”.
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Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has warned Starmer leadership rivals they need to ‘give their head a gentle wobble’ Credit: PA
Andy Burnham is thought to be returning to Parliament within weeks Credit: PA
Her intervention comes ahead of speculation mounts Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham could return to Parliament within weeks.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former deputy PM Angela Rayner are also considering a move for Downing Street after the expected electoral bloodbath at this week’s local elections.
Ms Alexander told Jattvibe that Sir Keir is the “best person to lead our country” through the period of extreme international volatility.
She added: “I don’t think the public would thank us if the Labour Party turned into some sort of self-indulgent debating society when there are pockets of the world that feel like they are going to hell in a handcart at the moment.
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“I think asking the Prime Minister to somehow reapply for his job when all of that is going on and he is entirely focused on the concerns of the British people would be the wrong thing to do.”
She added: “I think those people who think that we should have a leadership election now and repeat the mistakes that the Conservative government made in churning through prime ministers probably do need to give their head a gentle wobble.”
Sir Keir said at the weekend that the party has a choice of sinking into the politics of “grievance and division”.
He added: “Or we could rise to this moment – together – in a national effort that matches the scale of the threats and turbulence we face.
“When the nation rallied together to deal with Covid, the last government could have channelled that spirit to build a better nation.
“But instead, they descended into political infighting and let the country slump back to the old status quo. Not this time.”
