Labour on brink of civil war as Keir Starmer braces for five-way scramble for power

Labour has been brought to the brink of civil war this morning with at least five leadership candidates said to be readying their bids to oust Sir Keir Starmer.

Yesterday, the PM was forced to have spent the day scrambling to reassure ministers, warning how a contest would "plunge" the party into "chaos".

He was brought face-to-face with potential frontrunner Wes Streeting - but the Health Secretary was not left reassured, and is now said to be planning to resign to kick off a campaign proper.

Multiple reports suggest Mr Streeting would be joined by Ed Miliband, Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner and outsider Al Carns, the Veterans Minister.

Deputy PM David Lammy has questioned whether any of the Prime Minister’s rivals can muster the necessary support to launch a contest, while Sir Keir himself would also be expected to stand.

Any candidate requires the explicit support of 81 Labour MPs to begin a formal contest.

And though around 90 MPs have publicly called for Sir Keir's resignation, they are not - yet - united behind a single candidate to replace him.

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BREAKING: Angela Rayner is CLEARED over stamp duty scandal by HMRC just in time for Labour leadership bid

Angela Rayner has been cleared by HMRC of "deliberate wrongdoing or carelessness" over her tax affairs - the scandal which prompted her resignation as Deputy PM.

Ms Rayner has settled £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty after initially paying the lower rate, but has not paid any penalty as a result of the investigation, The Guardian has just revealed.

This is a breaking news story. We'll bring you the latest as it happens...

Labour leadership contest explained: How challenger could OUST Keir Starmer as PM faces battle today

While the Conservative Party regularly contests leadership contests, this week could soon see the first challenge to a sitting Labour Prime Minister.

Labour's rulebook undoubtedly brings about a different challenge to whoever occupies No10, with a more ambiguous set of hoops for candidates to jump through.

A potential challenger needs the support of 20 per cent of Parliamentary Labour Party colleagues, totalling 81 MPs given Sir Keir Starmer's majority...

READ THE FULL LABOUR EXPLAINER HERE

Al Carns 'brings Labour leadership race from four to five'

Veterans Minister Al Carns is thought to be preparing his own bid to stand for the Labour leadership.

The Mr Carns is said to be ready to join any tussle for party power, with his allies telling the BBC he would likely stand if Wes Streeting were to trigger a leadership contest.

He also wrote an article in the New Statesman yesterday entitled "How Labour Can Win Again" - a pice viewed as a future leadership pitch.

Mr Carns wrote that the Labour Party "was founded to give ordinary working people security, dignity and bargaining power over their lives.

"That is exactly what I believe, and it must be our mission again. We do not need more slogans, strategies, press releases or commissions. We need action," he added.

“The insecurity facing working people today may look different from the factory-floor struggles of the past - but emotionally, it is rooted in the same experience," the decorated Birmingham Selly Oak MP wrote.

"It stems from the feeling that ordinary people are carrying all the risk while having less and less control over their lives."

Across the pond... Pete Hegseth removes Britain from list of US allies after Keir Starmer's failure to support Iran war

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has chastised Britain once again for its failure to support America's offensive in Iran.

In a damning written statement to Congress, Mr Hegseth said allies' refusal to join in was "unconscionable" - and warned: "We will remember."

He then threatened "consequences" would follow for Nato members which "do not step up".

Mr Hegseth said Nato had become "beset by free-riding" in the wake of the Cold War, and called on allies to "step up and make good on their commitments to our collective defence".

"Not all allies have gotten the message, and where they do not step up, there will be consequences," he said...

READ THE FULL STORY HERE