The outcome, one of Labour’s worst in recent memory, has intensified the contentious debate about Starmer’s tenuous position and the direction he is steering his party.
Six government ministers, MPs, and officials, speaking anonymously, told POLITICO they don’t foresee the prime minister being ousted after this result, which two individuals separately described as the “worst case scenario.” Upcoming elections in May, both national and local, are viewed as the next critical moment that could terminate his premiership less than two years after securing a landslide majority.
Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman was direct on Friday, stating: “He has to go for the good of Scotland, the U.K., and the party.”
Starmer and his supporters assert they can turn things around and no drastic shift in strategy is required. During a Friday interview, the prime minister showed no sign of planning a significant reset of his leadership to persuade internal and external critics. In a direct email appeal to all Labour MPs to remain steadfast on Friday, Starmer vowed to “learn lessons” while criticizing the “extreme” endorsements gained by the Greens.
“I wouldn’t over-interpret the idea that we’re suddenly going to dump [what we’ve been doing] and do something totally different,” a senior government official said.
“You can have a change of emphasis. But instead of a massive course correction, we’re going to assess this sensibly,” the official added. “We are pausing to evaluate the result, but I think we are very much committed to the plan we’ve got.”
Leave a Reply