Labour MPs are increasingly open to the prospect of Rachel Reeves’ removal in a Starmer last gasp reshuffle. The Chancellor has attempted to bounce back following her removal from the China trip and subsequent disappearance from screens…
Backbenchers report to the i Paper that Reeves is attempting to shore herself up in case of that eventuality with “lots of private outreach, like messaging people after their interventions in debates to say ‘thanks’ or ‘well done’.” Something she would presumably never otherwise do…
The PLP is starting to view Reeves’ shuffling out of the Treasury as a possibility thanks to Starmer having been kneecapped by the soft left. If Rayner, Miliband, and the rest of the soft leftists are even bothered to do a deal with the flailing PM for post-May, Reeves’ head is a likely demand. The backbenchers blame her for most of the screw-ups and some much prefer Miliband…
Starmer and Reeves have long tied themselves together politically. A fast-moving No10 operation began to view the Chancellor as moveable at the beginning of this month. Starmer is a hostage to fortune now – that’s not to say he won’t sacrifice every last ally before his ship goes down…
Starmer was read out a list of his 13 U-turns on BBC Radio 2, to which he responded:
“Well, I am a common sense merchant.”