Philip O'Hare

@AndrewK19226879 @NerineHalton @Clainy6 And you think that won't happen with the media if someone else is elected?

@NerineHalton @Clainy6 Starmer stays, Reform win, we all lose

I don’t want a granny hugger. I don’t want my dog stroked. I don’t want a fist bumper. I want a PM who’s made me proud on the world stage. I want a PM who sees no loss of persona in being a serious man. I want Keir Starmer as PM ‼️🌹

@Peston Keep stirring....

I think we can safely assume that the next truly compelling episode in Labour’s real-time soap opera, entitled “Get Starmer”, will be the by-election in Makerfield. Subject to Labour’s ruling NEC allowing Andy Burnham to stand there - and Downing St says the prime minister has dropped his objections, so permission will be given - Burnham’s sotto voce campaign slogan will be unusual. It will be “Vote Burnham to sack Starmer.” This is both Burnham and Starmer genuinely rolling the dice. That’s not just because Burnham is way more popular than Starmer among Labour members and trade union leaders, and probably more popular among MPs too. It’s because Burnham and his fans characterise him as the answer to Farage and Reform. And on the basis of last week’s local election results, Makerfield is now a Reform heartland, having previously been part of the Labour Red Wall. So if Burnham loses, maybe he’s not the answer to all Labour’s woes, and Starmer survives - possibly even to fight the next election (though his critics believe Streeting and Rayner would precipitate a leadership election even after a Burnham defeat). But if Burnham wins, Starmer should book the removal vans as soon as the Makerfield count is over. Because those members, MPs and trade union leaders would carry Burnham shoulder-high into Number 10, and Starmer would be binned. So Starmer seems to be in the uncomfortable position of being a bystander in the events that will shape his own destiny. And as for the country, there are weeks more of destabilising uncertainty about who is really in charge, or will be running this place just weeks from now. Makerfield will make history, one way or another.

@BethRigby @SangitaMyska Ah, there it is. The final line of your gossipy puff piece.

Where are we after a very febrile and tense weekend? Starmer facing an extremely uncertain 24 hours.... - I've spoken to number of senior figures and they united in genuinely not knowing how next days will pan out. One cabinet minister tells me some MPs really panicking after seeing councillors replace by Reform ones and worried about their futures. Their view is that voting in general election a different question to locals, but some - such as West - think now something just has to happen. - There is a big push from Burnham backers to just calm it down, steady the ship, reflect on what’s happened, draw up a strategy and allow Starmer to continue, and try to be unifying figure, for now amid deep splits over succession. Some have been trying to get West to pull back "it's completely irresponsible [of West]", says one - Streeting allies clear that health secretary won’t trigger a challenge, but equally he is ready to stand if a contest happens. Some of his supporters want him to go now, arguing that this is his best change and that what Streeting needs to a coronation as membership won’t back him - On that, the idea that the soft left would let Streeting through without a contest is not a goer, which is where Rayner comes in. The former deputy leader has issued a statement, telling the PM to meet the moment and allow Burnham must be allowed back to parliament - we need ‘our star players on the pitch’. She also, in a lengthy statement, sets out a manifesto for change - calling for tax rises for wealthy to cut the cost of living. Clearly keeping options open - Can West get the numbers to trigger the ballot? There are just over 30 MPs so far that have said he should go. One senior figure thinks she won’t, saying that MPs have to put their names publicly to a statement saying West should be PM over Starmer and thy can’t see that happening. But will there be resignations from junior ministerial ranks on Monday (a number of MPs tell me to expect them), and will the pressure just build and build? - PM said, repeatedly on Friday that he was not walking away and would fight on. He has a crunch speech on Monday. But can one speech really ‘meet the moment’ . Allies are stressing that everything can’t ride on one speech and that MPs should look at the Kings Speech on Weds too. - It is worth saying, there are also a big bunch of Labour MPs that do not want a leadership race now

@Peston Still stirring.....you never stop.

My unscientific weekend poll of Labour MPs and government ministers is that Keir Starmer will be replaced as their leader and the country’s prime minister “by the end of the year”. They also say that an immediate defenestration and snap leadership election should be avoided if possible, for two reasons. First, the party needs to have a debate about its future direction and what could be a “big story of hope for Britain” they could coalesce around and sell to voters Second, the leadership change should be orderly, respectful and likely to yield a stable outcome. This means, they say, that the process needs to be long enough to allow Andy Burnham the opportunity to resign as mayor of Greater Manchester and contest a by-election. Which is not to say they all want Burnham as Britain’s next prime minister. Some do. Some don’t. What it means is they fear he and his supporters would never cease to lobby to be Labour leader, and therefore no new leader would be secure, unless Burnham was given the opportunity to win a leadership contest or crash and burn. “If Andy feels he is blocked again, any new leader will be toast before the next election,” one senior MP said to me. And to give Burnham the rope he wants, the leadership contest has to be delayed till the autumn, say his friends and foes. I have two other pieces of intelligence, or perhaps more properly unintelligence. No MP or and minister is able to explain to me how this “orderly” transition to a new leader would actually transpire, if the PM were to dig in and refuse to leave - which right now Starmer shows every sign of doing. There is a chance that the cabinet would unite against him and collectively make him an offer, to go with dignity on a set timetable, that he could not refuse. Ministers are as we speak talking to each other about just such a scenario. But that would be to believe they are capable of sublimating their individual personal ambitions and enjoyment of high office for what they will see as a nebulous greater good. Most of us don’t need to consult an AI superbrain to attach the appropriate probability to ministerial turkeys voting for Christmas. So tomorrow’s 49th relaunch speech by the PM is both profoundly important and trivially unimportant. If it is an absolute car crash then the consensus of MPs and ministers that Starmer can stay a few more weeks and months will evaporate, and the accidental rebel Catherine West would secure her 81 nominations to be the stalking horse challenger. Starmer would be fighting for his political life. But I have been briefed to expect a speech that shows contrition, that Starmer “gets it”, but that it is too soon for him to come up with a bold and unifying new vision for the country, not least because he avowedly hates doing “the vision thing”. In other words, the speech will probably be a bit of a “meh”, neither one thing or another, neither hastening his exit or cancelling it. Which, possibly, for Starmer, in his current dire straits, would be a win.

@Peston Keep stirring it, mate, you've been doing it for the last two years, why stop now?

Pretty much every member of the cabinet has tweeted some version of “it’s all very sad what’s happened but sacking the boss would be worse” - apart from Wes Streeting, Yvette Cooper, Ed Miliband and Shabana Mahmood

@itdavek @RichardBurgon Which Labour MP is a convicted paedophile, then?

@Redeye48 @RichardBurgon Considering the number of Labour MPs who voted against having a grooming gang enquiry or the amount of Labour MPs who are actually convicted pedophiles, you can hardly talk. #LabourOut #VoteReformUK

Nigel Farage didn’t just take a £5 MILLION “gift” from a billionaire. In Parliament, he voted AGAINST new workers’ rights - including stronger protections against unfair dismissal and better sick pay. Remember that when he pretends to be on the side of ordinary workers.

@bbclaurak @SangitaMyska @AndreaEganGS @UniteSharon Keep stirring the pot, it's what you're best at.

in last half hour, Unison boss @AndreaEganGS has said Labour needs to change its leader and policies, and @UniteSharon has said party needs to 'change or die' - if Cabinet won't move against Starmer, will the unions move? Unions meeting this afternoon....

@itdavek @RichardBurgon It's not the fact that he's wealthy - it's the fact that he had £5million quid stuffed into his back pocket and didn't see fit to mention it to anyone. And if you think he's on the side of ordinary people ask yourself why he voted against all the workers' rights in the new bill?

@Redeye48 @RichardBurgon Funnily enough, I really don't care he's wealthy. Nor do most other people. We just want Britain to be free from the traitor currently in charge. #LabourOut #VoteReformUK

@TheNorfolkLion @JohnCleese The most important word here, which you've totally ignored in your main argument, is 'allegedly'. Wait till the conclusion of the trial and the verdict before posting your accusations.

This will make your blood boil. What the hell is wrong with this country? 😡 A 20-year-old British girl is sobbing in court, reliving how she was allegedly dragged into a beach toilet and brutally raped by a Syrian refugee who shouldn’t even have been here. She was walking home alone after a night out, phone dead, vulnerable when 19-year-old Mohammed Abdullah (who entered the UK in 2023 via the family reunion scheme) offered her a lift on an e-bike. Instead, he allegedly pinned her, assaulted her, locked her in a portable toilet, and raped her while she froze in terror, whimpering “like a puppy,” begging him to stop as people walked past outside. She “just gave up,” praying it would end. 🤬😞 This is the imported chaos that open borders and weak vetting deliver. Young women paying the price for failed “refugee” policies that prioritise foreign criminals over British safety. Abdullah denies it. Trial ongoing. How many more British girls lives have to be destroyed before we stop importing unvetted fighting-age men from third-world countries with zero integration?

@itdavek @RichardBurgon Put the British people last and Farage's bank balance first is what you mean.

@RichardBurgon You're not STILL going on about this are you? With all of the problems inside the Labour Party, you should probably be getting your own house in order before you throw stones. #LabourOur #May7thLabourWipeOut #VoteReformUK

@BF6_Bloodline @BBCNewsnight Of course you are.

@BBCNewsnight 5 million....5 MILLION. Nope, don't care still voting Reform UK

"We've already started to hear it in focus groups, 'I thought he was different'" Luke Tryl discusses the potential impact of Nigel Farage receiving a £5m gift from a billionaire backer before he became an MP, adding that it "could deter those wavering Reform voters". #Newsnight

@Heccles94 Go and lie down, now, Harry. Seriously.

Labour have facilitated genocide.

@annief1 @AngelaRayner I'm a pensioner and I'm very happy with my Triple Locked pension, my free travel and my restored winter fuel allowance. You don't speak for me.

And you take from the pensioners. The people who have worked all their lives , since the ages of 15/16. You tax them , you don't support them . What a load of crap. Don't start trying to say you care @AngelaRayner you don't give a toss

@dave43law Keep stirring the pot, Dave.

Starmer will be forced out of No 10 – it’s just a matter of when and how, top pollster warns independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

@SkyNews @joncraig YAAAAWN

MPs are calling this week 'Starmergeddon', ahead of important local elections later this week. Sky's @joncraig says Sir Keir Starmer's leadership crisis could come to a head after the elections. 🔗 trib.al/k8BMd9o

@BurnsideWasTosh @richardcalhoun Thanks for providing the evidence for these claims.

As I said, the civil war in Labour is going to be gloriously unedifying over the next 2 weeks. More leaks than Polanski drinking soup. x.com/i/status/20506…

@LexiBeaChorlton @richardcalhoun @ZiaYusufUK More lies.

This man @ZiaYusufUK gave the electorate the chance to vote in 30 councils on Thursday Labour tried to cancel your elections If it wasn't for Zia and Reform your right to vote would have been taken away Labour hates democracy, go out on Thursday and vote Reform #GetStarmerOut

@Heccles94 How, exactly are Labour the same as the Tories and Reform? If you want support tell us what the GREENS are proposing and refrain from the divisive tactics of certain political parties.

Reform, Tories, Labour. They’re all the same. Vote Greens 💚

@Heccles94 @Elizabe25842951 Not really, because any political party would not want you to vote for another, obviously.

Labour don’t want you to vote Greens. The Tories don’t want you to vote Green. Reform don’t want you to vote Green. That tells you all you need to know. 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚

@DJMIKEYD1 @DaddyCoffee73 @Nigel_Farage A personal gift of .......£5 million! And under the rules, it does have to be declared.

@Redeye48 @DaddyCoffee73 @Nigel_Farage If it was a personal gift and not a political donation it doesn’t need to be declared

On the 23rd May 2024, @Nigel_Farage said he wouldn’t stand as an MP. He said it “was not the right time” and l he wanted to focus on helping the campaign in the USA instead. 11 days and £5million later, he u-turned and announced he would stand. Corrupt to the core. Please share.