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Is Keir Starmer so worried that he might be toppled from the Labour leadership – and UK premiership – that he has faked a challenge against him?

The BBC is reporting that allies of Starmer have been accusing Health Secretary Wes Streeting of seeking support for a leadership challenge – but that he is denying it:

“On Tuesday evening, friends of Sir Keir had told several news outlets his job might be under immediate threat and that they were particularly suspicious of Streeting’s leadership ambitions.

“Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, the health secretary said he could “not see any circumstances under which I would do that to our prime minister”.

““Someone has definitely been watching too much Celebrity Traitors. They should swap to Countryfile,” he said.”

The BBC’s chief political correspondent, Henry Zeffman, reckons this volley of briefing about a leadership challenge is an attempt to shore of Starmer’s leadership – but one that may have backfired.

Here’s what seems to be going on…

The rest of this article is over on The Whip Line – want to read it and all my other analysis? Subscribe to my Substack for full access and support independent UK political commentary.

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