"It seems there was enough in the results of Thursday's elections to allow Keir Starmer to fend off calls for his immediate exit. But that should not obscure the bigger picture, which is not only disastrous for Labour but also has alarming implications for British politics and even the future of the country."
"Labour MPs had been braced for losing as many as 2,000 council seats in England, with 1,500 seen as the threshold for a leadership challenge. But the first analyses pointed to an eventual tally of losses short of that first number, at least. In other words, the results were bad, but not that bad and therefore good enough for the PM."
"Privately, even Starmer's most loyal allies do not make the case for him fighting the next general election. For now, their demand is more modest. Give him another year; let him see if he can turn things around. These results offered one small, tactical boost to that argument."
"Defeats to Reform in the likes of Tameside and Wigan, the back yard of Starmer's most obvious challenger, the Greater Manchester metro mayor, Andy Burnham, are a reminder that there is no guarantee that Burnham could even become an MP, let alone PM. What Labour seat is so safe that Burnham would be sure to win a byelection, even if a sitting MP chose to stand down to make way for him?"
Election results from Thursday provided enough room for Keir Starmer to avoid immediate pressure to step down. Early analyses suggested Labour would lose council seats, but likely fewer than the threshold that would trigger a leadership challenge. The losses were still described as bad, yet not bad enough to end Starmer’s position. Starmer’s allies privately do not argue he should fight the next general election, instead seeking another year to attempt a turnaround. Defeats for Reform in areas tied to Andy Burnham were presented as a warning that Burnham might not even win a parliamentary seat. Supporters also argued voters would not tolerate another Labour repeat of political instability, and that removing Starmer could risk further damage.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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