Even Alison McGovern MP, former chair of the Labour right-wing group Progress, is now annoyed with Keir Starmer (because of him writing for the Sun).
Some socialists are talking about a leadership challenge. Comments I’ve heard include “This must be the end for Starmer... Would we, for instance, support Rayner to challenge Starmer (assuming he doesn’t simply stand down)?”
“Starmer is actively carrying out a turbo-New-Labour strategy of transforming Labour away from any kind of accountability... The turfing out of Starmer and the Blairite faction is imperative and a soft left leadership under Rayner would be a limited step forward”.
Problem is, to force a leadership contest requires 20% of Labour MPs to nominate a challenger. Even a majority vote of no confidence by MPs does not by itself force a contest, as we found in 2016.
A “draft Rayner” campaign, pressing all left Labour MPs to nominate Angela Rayner, would be unlikely to “work”; but certain to imply giving political credit to someone who has given no guarantees at all of differentiation from Starmer.
If Rayner should kick over the table and seek nominations against Starmer — it looks unlikely for now, but if — then that would create different choices. We might advocate people giving her their second votes in the Alternative Vote system used. But even then, surely, our primary pressure on MPs would be to nominate a left candidate?
Alan Gilbert, London
