Keir Starmer faces leadership contests as MAJOR Labour figure gains MPs' support for PM's ousting

Let's crack on with the menus because we

might have something to smile about with

the weather. I don't know if the prime

minister has much to smile about.

>> He's having a bad time.

>> Um he's said to be under threat from his

very own cabinet. This time we're

talking about West Streeting reportedly

plotting a leadership challenge.

>> Yes, it this is sort of bigger and

better than rumors that we've heard

before because the health secretary

apparently has the support of over 81

MPs and that is the minimum required to

trigger a leadership election. He's not

the only Labour heavyweight putting his

name in the hat. Well, no surprise

there. There's new reports that Andy

Burnham has devised a plan that could

see him back in Westminster within

weeks.

>> Can't understand how it's going to be

within weeks. Anyway, let's uh let's

talk to political activist. Uh I think

you were a political activist for Labor

at one point, weren't you? Chris Warl.

He's with us. And also former Labour

councelor Simon Greavves. Good morning

to both. Uh who do we start with?

Because this this apparently is bigger

and better threat and it's been leaked.

Do you know do you know the wherewithal

how it happened?

>> Well, I think if you've got 81 MPs, I

think this is the significance of uh

this yeah rumor or exclusive uh that's

come out in the Telegraph is he can then

trigger a leadership contest plus if

they get either 5% of the members or

three affiliates. So this is kind of

like a meaningful um you know amount of

people that he's got as MPs that can

actually deliver that. Angela would have

to do the same

>> if she wanted to run.

>> I don't think Bernham even has an

ability to be nominated.

>> Simon, I mean can I ask you why would it

be happening now? Now now just within

days of of the elections why would

anyone want to do this now?

>> Um I no idea because it's complete

madness. the um the the magic number of

8 to1 is all very important and for

those that want to spin rumors on behalf

of others that is a real significant

milestone in their opinion but this

doesn't meet with political reality as

you've just said it there's only just

been a general election there's uh many

years yet to go there's a huge amount of

issues and challenges facing the country

and let's all go inward shall we and

have a leadership election in the run-up

to the next party conference it's

completely bonkers and I Well, apart

from the fact, Simon, that's how bad the

situation is at the moment. There's no

getting away from that.

>> Well, the the position is incredibly

challenging for the government. I think

the prime minister is the first one to

recognize that and many ministers uh

that you've seen doing the press rounds

also fess up to that in including West

Street. So, um there's no no one's shy

about it, but the the magic number of 81

is important. Will it actually happen?

Who knows? What I can't what I can't

understand, Chris, with all of this is I

mean, West Streeting's a solid political

player, right? Why would he want the

leadership at the if you really want to

to lead the Labour party, you'd want to

do it after the next general election,

wouldn't you? Cuz it's not looking

whoever takes over looks like they're

going to have a couple of years and then

be done.

>> Oh, look. Karmama's limping on at the

minute. And I think the the sort of you

know cadray of people who are anyone but

an in terms of Angela Raina are going to

be looking at if Kharma you know has to

go which people have been waiting for it

for quite a while now even though it's

not that long into um you know his term

and I think they're going to be worried

about what and then what are we going to

get a Zack Balansky 2.0 O in charge of

the Labour party and that's where I

think even people on the soft left are

going to be sort of coming in behind

people like West Street maybe the Ed

Millibands and those kind of people that

you know might be thinking about going

to Angelina because it will be worse. So

if we think it can't get any worse

people are thinking it can get worse if

Angelena takes takes out Kan in my mind.

That's why people are and the

significance of West Street's rumors are

important because you know

>> that that's that's the real risk at hand

here.

>> And what and what of this um so-called

rumor about um Andy Burnham being able

to get back into Westminster within

weeks? How would that work, Simon?

>> Um I don't think even Andy Bernham would

have an idea about that because this is

such total crazy nonsense. um how on

earth is it theoretically possible to do

this? And I've seen the rumors of oh

there'll be a an agenda for the country

that's knocked out in the course of a

bi-election. I mean this is just fantasy

land stuff. So I think this is more to

do with people's desperate to be

relevant looking at the future of the

party um rather than any immediate uh

opportunity. Uh but to be honest, it's

incredibly corrosive. Uh I'm sure that

everyone would rather that people just

focus on the job. Well, the problem is

what this is indicative of um Simon and

you know whether you like it or not and

whether these rumors lead to anything or

not is just what a state we are in now.

What an absolute state with a you less

than two years after winning with a

massive majority and there has been for

the best part of a year now nothing but

rumors about whether the prime minister

can survive. It's a terrible situation.

>> Uh I would absolutely agree with you. It

is a poor uh state of affairs to put it

quite mildly. Um and the uh will it get

to a point of put up or shut up? I

really don't know, but I really hope

not.

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The Telegraph is reporting and they do

seem to sort of have a lot of the inside

knowledge, if that's what it is, um, on

this. They're saying one possibility is

for Sir Kir to announce that he will

step down after September's party

conference, which would allow him a more

dignified handover of power and give all

the contenders time to prepare properly.

So, what do we think of that idea,