The stalking horse returns: what Thatcher’s 1989 challenge tells us about Starmer’s test

A prime minister under not inconsiderable political pressure faces a leadership challenge from an obscure backbench MP posing as a proxy for more prominent pretenders.  These words accurately describe the political landscape Keir Starmer, Britain’s incumbent embattled premier, faces after Catherine West announced her plan to launch a leadership bid. West’s plan, hastily organised in […]

Starmer’s ‘stalking horse’: who is Labour challenger Catherine West? 

Catherine West has threatened to launch a leadership bid that could topple the prime minister.  The Labour MP issued a momentous intervention after her party’s drubbing in the elections this week. On Saturday afternoon, West called on the cabinet to “reorganise themselves” and put forward their “best communicator” to replace Starmer. Speaking to BBC News […]

Starmer ally calls for prime minister to resign

A Labour MP once considered to be close ally of Keir Starmer has called for him to resign as prime minister.  Josh Simons, the Labour MP for Makerfield, has written an article for the Times newspaper expressing his view that Starmer should oversee an “orderly transition to a new prime minister”.  Simons was director of […]

Cleverly insists government actions on NI protocol are ‘lawful’

Following an urgent question on whether the government have taken the appropriate steps to ensure their position on the Northern Ireland protocol, foreign minister James Cleverly insisted that government “actions are lawful”.  This follows media reports that a government advisor was told “not to give an opinion on whether the plan would breach international law”. […]