Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing serious problems, and many people are starting to lose faith in his leadership. Over the past few weeks, he’s made several big U-turns that make him look weak and unsure. First, he dropped a plan to cut winter fuel payments. Then he backed down from trying to remove £5 billion from disability benefits. Now, he’s facing backlash over a new idea to charge farmers more inheritance tax. More than 40 Labour MPs are threatening to rebel against him.
At the same time, Chancellor Rachel Reeves is pushing for a tax on wealthy foreigners living in the UK, known as “non-doms.” But experts warn this may end up costing the country more in lost revenue, as rich people leave the UK to avoid the tax. Starmer is also under pressure to cancel the two-child benefit cap, something he promised to keep just a few weeks ago. That’s another U-turn.
His plan to reduce immigration is also falling apart. He had to say sorry after calling Britain “an island of strangers,” which offended many people. He also made a weak attempt to toughen laws against grooming gangs, but it didn’t go far enough to satisfy critics.
Meanwhile, the UK economy isn’t doing well. It’s shrinking instead of growing, and Rachel Reeves seems to be losing control of public finances. People expect she will announce even more taxes in the next Budget.
Many Labour MPs are fed up. One senior party figure reportedly described the situation as “an absolute mess.” Talks of replacing Starmer as leader are no longer secret—they’re being discussed openly. And it’s not just MPs who want him out. According to a new poll, over 60% of voters think Starmer should step down. Only about 25% believe he’ll still be Prime Minister by the next election.
If Starmer’s opponents get their way, he could soon be pushed out of office completely.
So, who might take over?
The Mail on Sunday reports that Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, is quietly gaining support. Her allies say Starmer is “badly wounded” and might not make it to the end of the year. Many Labour members and union leaders prefer Rayner to other possible replacements. Some people support Andy Burnham, but he’s not even in Parliament. Rayner is.
Moderate figures like Wes Streeting don’t have much of a chance, because the Left wing of the party is becoming stronger. Rayner says she’s not interested in taking over—but that might just be something she has to say for now.
Supporters think Rayner’s working-class background and direct way of speaking could make her more relatable than Starmer, who is often seen as stiff and overly technical. They believe she could be a strong challenger to figures like Nigel Farage.
But if people think things are bad under Starmer, some worry they could get even worse with Rayner in charge.
She is determined to pass her Employment Rights Bill later this year. This new law is packed with pro-union policies that may sound good on paper but could hurt the economy. Businesses are already struggling after Labour’s £25 billion national insurance hike, which is believed to have caused 275,000 job losses. Rayner’s bill could cost another £5 billion a year and destroy 50,000 more jobs, according to some analysts.
Her plan would cancel important union laws, ban zero-hour contracts, and increase redundancy pay. It would also give ministers the power to take companies to employment tribunals without needing a complaint first. The cost of all this would fall on taxpayers.
Some say this feels like a return to the 1970s, when unions had too much control. The Conservatives warn that it could lead to a £1 billion tax hike because companies would earn less and pay less in corporation tax.
Even so, many Labour MPs and activists are excited. They’ve wanted to undo Margaret Thatcher’s union reforms for decades. With Rayner as Prime Minister and a strong majority in Parliament, they might finally get their wish.
People may be frustrated with Keir Starmer now—but what comes next could be even more chaotic.
