A former Labour adviser has pinpointed the best time for Sir Keir Starmer to resign as she admitted she would “like him to go”.

Speaking to GB News, Stella Tsantekidou admitted although there is currently “no transition” for a new Labour leader, the Prime Minister “must be the one to pull the trigger” when the time comes.

Several of Sir Keir’s cabinet have leapt to the defence of the PM, including his deputy David Lammy.

As GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope asked Mr Lammy on Downing Street whether Sir Keir should go, he told GB News: “We’ve waited 14 years to get here, no.”

Asked by host Martin Daubney what she would like to see happen to the PM, Ms Tsantekidou told GB News: “I would like to see Keir Starmer go. I do understand the interventions by Angela Rayner and Lucy Powell and since the two of them have said that they support Keir Starmer to remain, then I think that they have are good reasons.

“I think they realise that there is simply no transition ready to go, and I’m hoping that what will happen at his meeting with MPs today, it will be risky for MPs to openly discuss with Keir Starmer and agree on the timeline by which he will leave, he will resign as Labour leader.

“But I am hoping that there will be some kind of discussion about whether there are any conditions on the week which Keir Starmer is going to resign.”

She argued: “And I think that Keir Starmer is someone who does appreciate that when he’s no longer pulling his weight, then he should be the one who at the end pulls the trigger. He did that while he was leader of the opposition before when he lost a very important by-election.

“He was close to resigning, and the only reason he didn’t is because Morgan McSweeney back then convinced him to stay, and at the end he did very, very well. And I think that there should be a test definitely after the by-election on the 26th of February, but possibly after the local May elections as well to steady the seat until then, stay in place until then.

“Give the opportunity to other candidates in good consciousness to try and prepare for a transition Government, and then go for a leadership election.”

Quizzed by Martin on who she would like to see replace Sir Keir, Ms Tsantekidou admitted she is “open” to a “number of candidates”.

She explained: “For me, I’m open to a number of candidates from the Labour Party. I think sadly, as gifted as he is in communication, Wes Streeting is not the right candidate, and that’s because of the very close links he had with Mandelson and with New Labour. I think that’s not the right direction.

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“I would have been happy with someone like Andy Burnham or Angela Rayner, I think that she’s a great communicator. She’s a working class woman who is really the best of Britain and I think she would make an excellent leader, but I’m also open.”

Disagreeing with the ex-Labour adviser, Martin pushed back: “When you say that Angela Rayner is the best of the working classes, there are 40,000 reasons why that’s not the case. Isn’t she just another socialist with her snout in the through?”

Ms Tsantekidou responded: “I personally think that people have looked down on her throughout your political career. People have always expected her to underperform, and she has always overperformed.

“Yes, the tax scandal was bad, but honestly, we have forgiven so much worse from all of these super-rich politicians, so why would I stop the career of a working-class woman who wants to represent her community?”

Nigel Farage launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir, telling the PM it is “done” and “over” amid mounting pressure to resign.

Speaking to the People’s Channel, the Reform UK leader told Martin there is “no possible way” Sir Keir can survive the latest Labour scandal centring around Peter Mandelson, adding his party is “ready” for an election.

Delivering his verdict on Sir Keir’s fate, Mr Farage gave a clear message to the Prime Minister on GB News, saying: “It’s over, it’s done. The game’s up, mate, and it’s time you recognised it.

“How on earth can the Scottish parliamentary elections go ahead when you’ve got the leader of the Scottish Labour Party saying he doesn’t support the national leader? That, to me, is the straw that does actually break the camel’s back, and it’s just now simply a matter of time.”

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