Starmer loyalist warns against copying Tories' but admits PM is unpopular

"The housing secretary, Steve Reed, one of Starmer's most loyal ministers and staunch defenders, told broadcasters on Friday that no one had the numbers to challenge him and the party should come together behind the prime minister. Starmer's leadership is under intense pressure after the Labour MP Josh Simons announced he would stand aside to allow the Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, to attempt to return to parliament and challenge the prime minister. Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary, while the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner revealed that she had been cleared by HMRC of deliberate wrongdoing over her tax affairs, clearing the path for a potential tilt at the top job."

"Speaking on Sky News, Reed admitted the prime minister is unpopular, adding: But each of the last four prime ministers in turn have been the most unpopular prime minister we've ever had. He said: What happens when you're the leader of the government at a time when the public are so angry with the state of our public services and the economy, is it focuses down on that individual. So we can either copy the Tories, they doomscrolled through leader after leader five, I think, in eight years, prime ministers. It didn't help them one jot."

"He said: What we need to do is all of us come together behind the prime minister and focus on how we can deliver the change the British public want to see faster. Reed said no leadership contest had been triggered and no individual had received the backing of the required 81 MPs to mount a challenge. He urged Labour to stick to the country first, party second mantra that Starmer had repeated time and again during the general election campaign. He told Sky News: Country first, party second was one of the most important things we said in that gen"

Steve Reed said Keir Starmer is unpopular but Labour should not repeat the Conservatives’ pattern of frequent leader changes. Reed argued that public anger about public services and the economy tends to focus on the prime minister, and that changing leaders did not help the Conservatives. He said no leadership contest has been triggered and no challenger has secured the required 81 MPs to mount a challenge. Reed urged Labour to come together behind Starmer and focus on delivering faster change the public wants. He also reiterated the “country first, party second” approach used during the general election campaign. Meanwhile, leadership pressure increased after Josh Simons announced he would stand aside for Andy Burnham, Wes Streeting resigned, and Angela Rayner said HMRC cleared her tax affairs.

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