Hard work should pay. Unlock quality journalism that champions free enterprise. |  | Ben Riley-Smith Political Editor | What an extraordinary day in Westminster. A bombshell call for Sir Keir Starmer to go, two No 10 departures, an orchestrated show of Cabinet support and a fiery fight-back speech.
For those nursing a political hangover this morning after the mother of all Westminster news-binges, there can be little doubt that the Prime Minister is on the brink, with the odds stacked against him remaining in No 10 for long.
Starmer certainly gave no sign he was willing to give up his premiership last night, telling Labour MPs he wanted to lead the “fight” against Reform. He said: “I’ll tell you this, as long as I have breath in my body, I’ll be in that fight, on behalf of the country that I love and I believe in, against those that want to tear it up.” | An exhausted Starmer leaves Parliament after a bruising day | The message of unity publicly issued by every single member of the Cabinet after Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, called for Starmer to go does not tell the full story.
Behind the scenes, accusations are being made that Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, played a part in bringing the Prime Minister to his moment of crisis yesterday.
The Telegraph can reveal Streeting talked to Sarwar on Saturday, two days before the latter’s call for Starmer’s resignation. They are understood to have discussed the current political situation. One Left-wing Labour source told The Telegraph: “Everyone from the PM down to the most junior bag-carrier knows who was behind the McChicken Coup, and his name rhymes with Les Weeting.”
The McChicken Coup refers to apparent efforts to use the ousting of Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, to force the Prime Minister to step aside.
A spokesman for Streeting denied he was behind Sarwar’s resignation call, in turn blaming No 10 insiders for the briefings. The spokesman said: “Wes did not ask Anas to do this, he did not co-ordinate with Anas on this. Anas is the leader of the Scottish Labour Party, he is his own man, and Wes has the highest respect for him.”
In another development last night, Streeting published his private messages with Lord Mandelson, which showed he had privately criticised Starmer’s Government. The exchanges revealed that last March, Streeting said the Government had “no growth strategy at all”, despite growth being the Prime Minister’s self-declared “number one priority”.
Publishing the messages appeared to be an attempt by Streeting to address his relationship with Lord Mandelson ahead of any future leadership contest.
The Cabinet may have presented itself as a nest of birds singing in harmony yesterday afternoon. Listen closely, though, and there is plenty of discord.
Read the full story here ➤
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Hans van Leeuwen: Only the bond markets still believe in Starmer ➤ | | James Kirkup Starmer and McSweeney have not transformed their party. Britain is poised to learn what a real socialist government looks like Continue reading ➤ Kemi Badenoch Starmer should go for the good of the country Continue reading ➤ Suzanne Moore Labour’s toxic cult of masculinity has been Starmer’s undoing Continue reading ➤ | | By the way, Google has introduced a new feature called “preferred sources”, so you can see more journalism that you know and trust in your search results. Add The Telegraph today and ensure you never miss the stories that matter. | | Ebba Andersson shows off her Olympic silver medal after it fell off its lanyard | | After fleeing China for London in 1978, Jung Chang wrote a best-selling exposé of the Cultural Revolution | | Speaking on The Telegraph’s Daily T podcast, Jung Chang, the author of Wild Swans, does not mince her words. The vehement critic of Xi Jinping, China’s president, and his “Western apologists” tells hosts Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley why the Chinese leader was sending a “deliberate signal” when he chose not to accompany Sir Keir Starmer on a tour of Beijing’s Forbidden City during his visit in January. Continue reading ➤ | | | Energy security is a guiding principle of Ed Miliband’s net zero agenda, underpinning his rush to ditch fossil fuels. However, some cybersecurity experts fear there is a major blind spot in his promise to keep Britain’s lights on. They say the complex energy grid he is building is no longer isolated and defensible but increasingly reliant on the internet – making it a tempting target for the UK’s enemies. Continue reading ➤ | | | Bella Minns, 27, from Cambridgeshire, moved to Manchester after university and says the city ‘feels exciting, like it’s on the cusp of something’ | | The capital has long served as a revolving door for young professionals hungry for higher wages and career opportunities. This trend appears to be stalling, though, with young people now questioning the economic case for living and working in London, opting instead for fresher, livelier and cheaper cities. Continue reading ➤ | | | Robbie and Elordi’s chemistry is hot, and at times genuinely transgressive | | ★★★★★
You could never accuse Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights of being a faithful adaptation of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, writes Robbie Collin. But as the love-struck Cathy and Heathcliff, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have an electrifying chemistry that ensures this resplendently lewd and lurid film will leave audiences quivering. Continue reading ➤ | | | Our writer Liz Hoggard had always understood the health implications of excessive alcohol consumption, but was nevertheless drinking far more than the recommended 14 units a week. When she heard about Naltrexone, a pill that removes the fun factor from drinking, she decided to see if it could improve her relationship with alcohol. Here’s how she got on – and the moment that her mindset finally shifted. Continue reading ➤ Below are two more helpful articles for you this morning: | |
Sue Farthing’s pet cockerel, named Colonel, has angered neighbours in a Norfolk village with early morning crowing. With which punishment has Ms Farthing been threatened? | | Lisa Oxenham, pictured with her son Wolfgang, says staying true to her style has helped her navigate motherhood at 50 | When she became a mother 10 years ago, Lisa Oxenham suffered an identity crisis. She lost her sense of style and found herself stuck wearing a uniform of leggings and oversized fleeces.
Now, after having another baby at the age of 50, Lisa has cleared out her wardrobe and treated herself to a good haircut. She has put 80 per cent of her clothes into the attic, making her life simpler with fewer choices and keeping outfits that she feels confident in.
Successful clothing must have a soft structure, be practical and include one defining detail that says “this is me”. Here, Lisa shares her three favourite outfits.
Continue reading ➤ | E-bikes: scourge or saviour? Every weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
Have electric bikes become a menace? Richard Statham recently made the case for the prosecution: “Surely it is time for e-bikes to be forced to have licence plates, so they can be identified more easily in the event of an incident. I was nearly hit while on my mobility scooter, which would have been very serious for both of us had we collided. The silence of these bikes makes them even more dangerous. They should be subject to the same regulations as larger vehicles.”
The chorus of assent included a letter from James B Sinclair: “Any vehicle powered by any non-human source should be registered, plated and insured. They should be banned from pavements. This should apply to e-scooters too. They all should be treated as something akin to mopeds.”
I admit to taking a more lenient view. I am a fan of e-bikes, and Lime bikes in particular. Not so long ago, it felt as though the great experiment in London was going wrong, but these days I hear the telltale beep of stolen vehicles far less often, and find myself tripping over fewer discarded ones on the pavement. The bikes themselves have a lot going for them – it’s like cycling, but easier – and the riders (based on my entirely unscientific impressions, at least) seem to be improving.
Roger Middleton was a fellow defender: “I have some questions for Richard Statham. Where would you mount a clearly visible number plate on an e-bike? Who would pay for the attendant bureaucracy, and who would enforce it? There are already age requirements for riders, along with regulations limiting the maximum power output.
“In many hillier parts of the country, e-bikes are the difference between being able to cycle and not being able to cycle at all. They keep us out of our cars and physically fit, reducing our need to use the NHS. The last thing we need is for them to be regulated off the road.” E-bikes: scourge or saviour? Send your responses here, and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of From the Editor PM, for which you can sign up here.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. | | Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including PlusWord, Sorted, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was GLIMMERED. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. | | Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
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