Monday, 09 February, 2026
London, UK
Monday, February 9, 2026 11:10 AM
broken clouds 9.2°C
Condition: Broken clouds
Humidity: 87%
Wind Speed: 16.7 km/h

Politics LIVE: Keir Starmer facing day of reckoning as Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting ‘line up leadership bids’

Sir Keir Starmer is staring down a day of reckoning after the resignation of his right-hand man Morgan McSweeney.

The Prime Minister will today address Labour MPs, some of whom publicly attacked him last night, in a bid to cool widespread fury over the Lord Mandelson scandal.

If Sir Keir were to leave office, two names have emerged as the leading candidates to replace him: Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner.

On Sunday, MPs were revealed to be planning to lend staff to work on a leadership campaign by Mr Streeting to unseat the PM after the local elections.

One Labour MP told The Times: “I’ve already told my staff: ‘If you want to take annual leave later in the year to go and work on Wes’s leadership campaign, I’d be fully supportive of that.'”

Another added: “These conversations are already happening, because even though colleagues have accepted there won’t be a change before May, they want Wes to be ready as soon as possible after.”

Ms Rayner was then said to have reached out to HMRC to offer to hurry along their probe into her tax affairs amid fears it could get in the way of a potential leadership bid.

A Labour source told The Sun of how she was “holding court in the House of Commons tea room and talking openly about when they should get rid of Keir”.

While a senior minister said: “I’m just devastated that now our Labour Party is associated with the world’s most infamous sex trafficking paedophile ring.”

Another frontbencher said: “I don’t think it’s fair to call it a sh**show. I’ve seen sh**shows before and this is much worse. A couple of weeks ago, I would have said Keir Starmer survives as PM despite all the U-turns. But now I think this really is the end. The only question is when.”

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…

Team Rayner and Team Streeting both coy on leadership bid – even as MPs smell blood in the water

Wes Streeting/Angela Rayner

Last night, a spokesman for Wes Streeting claimed neither Wes nor his team “have asked anyone to not book leave or asked MPs to lend staff for a campaign”.

They added: “Wes’s entire focus has been on cutting waiting lists for the first time in 15 years, getting ambulances to arrive 15 minutes faster than last year and improving patient satisfaction with access to GPs.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Angela Rayner denied a leadership challenge was underway.

“She will assist the HMRC inquiry in any way possible, will pay every penny she owes, and knows the inquiry will take as long as it takes,” they added.

Labour MPs launch public rebellion in crisis for PM

Last night, multiple Labour MPs came out to publicly revolt against Sir Keir Starmer after Morgan McSweeney resigned.

Rachael Maskell said if he had not understood he needs to make the Labour Party “inclusive”, he will find it “very difficult to continue”.

The Labour MP told BBC Radio 4: “Let’s listen very carefully over the coming days to see that Keir Starmer has really understood how serious it is, the situation, what he has to do to build that inclusive party.

“And if he can achieve that, if he puts the agenda of inclusion, of building the confidence that he’s going to address those inequalities, not just in his party but across the country, then of course we will see where we get to.

“But if he cannot do that, if he hasn’t understood the seriousness of the situation, then I think he will find it very difficult to continue.”

Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman, meanwhile, unleashed a fiery broadside at his boss.

“There must be a change in political direction and that comes from the very top, so the Prime Minister must look at his own position and question whether he should follow McSweeney’s lead one last time, and resign for the good of the country and the Labour Party,” Mr Leishman said.

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

Categories

Follow

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to receive your complimentary login credentials and unlock full access to all features and stories from Lord’s Press.

    As a journal of record, Lord’s Press remains freely accessible—thanks to the enduring support of our distinguished partners and patrons. Subscribing ensures uninterrupted access to our archives, special reports, and exclusive notices.

    LP is free thanks to our Sponsors

    Privacy Overview

    Privacy & Cookie Notice

    This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to help us understand how our content is accessed and used. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that allow us to recognise your device upon return, retain your preferences, and gather anonymised usage statistics to improve site performance.

    Under EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process this data based on your consent. You will be prompted to accept or customise your cookie preferences when you first visit our site.

    You may adjust or withdraw your consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the website footer. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our full Privacy Policy