UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s team has launched an “extraordinary operation” to protect him amid rumors that senior figures within his own Labour Party are plotting to oust him, The Guardian has reported, citing sources in Downing Street.
Officials in Starmer’s office have reportedly grown increasingly anxious over speculation among MPs that Health Secretary Wes Streeting could be preparing a coup with the backing of around 50 senior Labour figures.
The attempt to oust Starmer could come after the budget announcement later this month or in May following local elections. One source inside the government told British outlets that Downing Street had gone into “full bunker mode” over the rumors.
The report does not detail the measures involved but says Starmer’s aides have warned that any leadership challenge would be “reckless.”
The discontent comes amid mounting unease over Starmer’s handling of the economy and his declining approval ratings. Opinion polls suggest Starmer is one of the most unpopular prime ministers of modern times, and his party has trailed Nigel Farage’s opposition right-wing Reform UK for months, a slump worsened by anger over the upcoming budget.
Streeting has denied the claims that he is plotting to replace Starmer, blaming what he described as a “toxic culture” at the heart of the prime minister’s office.
The issue was raised during a Parliament session on Wednesday, where Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Starmer of having “lost control of No 10” and said his government had descended into “civil war.” Starmer replied that he was leading a “united team” and insisted he and his staff were “fully focused on delivering for the country.”
Starmer’s falling popularity stems from public anger over the lack of economic stability and growing unease about immigration. Many Britons say their living standards have stagnated as taxes rise, growth slows, and public services strain. His stance on immigration – tightening visa rules and pledging to cut net migration while retaining limited humanitarian routes – has been criticized as inconsistent and politically driven.
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Several British prime ministers have been removed by their own parties through internal revolts and leadership challenges, including Margaret Thatcher, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss.
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