Prime Minister's Challenge at Cabinet Meeting
"Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough."
In essence, this was the message Sir Keir Starmer delivered to the cabinet today during what was, notably, the regular weekly scheduled meeting.
The prime minister addressed a full assembly of 28 cabinet ministers, but his remarks were clearly aimed at one individual: Wes Streeting, the health secretary.
Streeting has been transparent with the prime minister for several months about his readiness to contest the leadership if a challenge arises. However, he has consistently maintained that he would not be the one to initiate such a contest.
As of early this morning, that stance remained unchanged.
Then, the prime minister made a calculated move, relying on Labour Party rules.
Unlike the Conservative system for removing a leader, which depends on whether MPs retain confidence in their leader, the Labour system requires 81 MPs to back a specific challenger to face the incumbent leader.
It is evident that well over 81 Labour MPs desire the prime minister's removal. Yet, Sir Keir is shrewdly exploiting the divisions among them.
Some MPs prefer a slower leadership contest because they support Andy Burnham, who is currently not an MP. Others want an immediate change, backing Streeting.
Will Streeting respond? He did not take the bait during the cabinet meeting. Sources indicate he participated in the scheduled discussion regarding the impact of the Middle East conflict on the British economy.
In fact, it appears the leadership issue was barely discussed.
The prime minister made his opening statement, and the conversation swiftly moved on to the planned topic.
Multiple sources claim a group of ministers sought to meet Sir Keir afterward to discuss his leadership, but he declined to see them.
Nevertheless, a substantial group of ministers emerged promptly, expressing strong support for the prime minister. Notably, this group included Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Science Secretary Liz Kendall, both considered ideologically and personally close to Streeting.
Beyond Streeting's potential actions, the question arises about the 'soft left' of Labour, broadly the faction critical of the prime minister that supports Burnham. Allies of Streeting assert that this Labour faction initiated the leadership crisis through coordinated calls for the prime minister to announce a timetable for his departure.
It was notable that Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, remained silent as he left cabinet. Miliband is politically aligned with Miatta Fahnbulleh, who resigned as a government minister earlier this morning and urged the prime minister to reconsider his position. Fahnbulleh supports Burnham, and it will be significant to observe if other ministers sharing her views follow suit.
Burnham's supporters have claimed for days that he has a route back into parliament, contingent on an MP vacating their seat to enable him to contest a by-election.
If there was an optimal time for Burnham, who was seen in London today, to act on this promise, it would have been yesterday. Today remains a viable option.
Otherwise, those in this wing of the Labour Party may begin to seek an alternative candidate who is currently an MP.
Another aspect of Labour's rules to consider: if a direct challenge to Sir Keir occurs, the prime minister automatically appears on the ballot of Labour members without needing to secure 81 nominations.
A senior government source suggested today that one possible scenario is Sir Keir defeating Streeting in a leadership contest, with the prime minister garnering support from MPs who want him removed but not replaced by Streeting at this time.
Various plausible outcomes remain possible from this point.
With a bold demonstration of prime ministerial authority and considerable political determination, Sir Keir has preserved many options for now.
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Ministerial Reactions and Media Scrutiny
Ministers, including Pat McFadden, were met with a flurry of questions from journalists as they left Downing Street following the cabinet meeting.
