\"It is a truth universally acknowledged that when a political party is in possession of a leader suffering great misfortune, they must be in want of a new one.\"<\/p>\n
So wrote Jane Austen, as I recall, perhaps a little hazily.<\/p>\n
If I slightly misquote, so be it. The fact is that all this morning\u2019s headlines, fuelled by leaks within Labour and the usual right-wing media hatred of anything to do with that party, suggest that Starmer\u2019s time is up.<\/p>\n
As readers of this blog will know, I thought that a long time before he became Prime Minister. It gives me no comfort to say, \"I told you so.\"<\/p>\n
So, do I have an answer as to who the next leader will be? No, not at all.<\/p>\n
Andy Burnham has no chance of getting to Parliament in a by-election now. Manchester has turned against Labour.<\/p>\n
Angela Rayner\u2019s Tameside constituency has swung to Reform, and selecting her, with all the risks involved, would make no sense in that case.<\/p>\n
Wes Streeting\u2019s Redbridge council remained under Labour control yesterday, with all seats up for election, but the party fell back, and he already has a very small majority, suggesting that he, too, would be vulnerable in a general election.<\/p>\n
And there you have the Labour conundrum. It is bereft of talent, hope, and any chance of significant electoral success at the next general election. They need to be rid of Starmer, but have no effective replacement.<\/p>\n
In that case, are we to suffer a government running what will, in effect, be their own closing-down sale for the next three years? Under Labour, that looks likely to be the case.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"