After years of personality-driven and chaotic, shallow politics coverage across much of the media, which was largely about instability, gossip and leadership crises we now have a govt with massive majority, widespread internal agreement and no likelihood of massive instability anytime soon.”
The challenge for political broadcasting is enormous, and rather satisfying to watch. After years of personality-driven and chaotic, shallow politics coverage across much of the media, which was largely about instability, gossip and leadership crises we now have a govt with…
— Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) July 8, 2024
The above, posted by Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy four days after Labour’s historic landslide general election victory in 2024, along with screenshots of other hot takes from commentators asserting that the removal of the Conservatives from office would result in a different way of doing politics, have been cynically shared in various WhatsApp groups across Westminster.
Following a disastrous set of local election results for Labour last week, nearly 100 MPs are now calling for Sir Keir Starmer to go and several ministers and front benchers – from both the left and the right of the party – have resigned.
At the time of writing, he is making clear he has no intentions of doing so and more Labour MPs have publicly backed the prime minister than are calling for him to go.
Now Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary, saying he has lost confidence in the prime minister, the leadership contenders appear to be lining up.
Despite not being an MP, Andy Burnham is a name that keeps propping up. However, the Greater Manchester Mayor is yet to find an MP willing to give up their £99,000-a-year job to allow the so-called King in the North a path to return to Westminster. Under the Labour Party’s rules, it can only by led by an MP.
Charlotte Nichols, one of those rumoured, explicitly told the JC she would not be resigning her seat to clear the way for Burnham. Not to mention the fact that voters in Manchester – who only re-elected him as mayor to serve a full term in 2024 – might have something to say about a by-election being imposed on them.
A more immediately likely candidate from the left of Labour is Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister who resigned after failing to pay enough tax on her flat in Brighton.
On Thursday morning she told ITV News that she had been cleared by HMRC of any tax misconduct and told the Guardian that she would not trigger a leadership contest against Starmer, she also refused to rule out running in the event of a context.
On Wednesday, the Times also reported that Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, former leader and darling of the left of the Labour Party, was considering a leadership bid himself should Streeting trigger a contest, something denied.
How would any change at the top of government impact Britain’s Jewish community and relations with Israel?
Despite the hammering from many on his own side, from the Green Party and pro-Gaza independent candidates, Starmer arguably leads the most pro-Palestinian British government in recent years.
During his time in office, the Labour-led government has: restored funding to controversial Palestinian UN agency Unrwa (despite Israeli claims that members of the group participated in the October 7 attacks and testimony from former hostage Emily Damari that she was held captive in an Unrwa facility), imposed a ban on arms sales to Israel, sanctioned Israeli ministers, committed to recognise a Palestinian state even though hostages were being held by Hamas, and he hasn’t spoken to Benjamin Netanyahu since July last year.
However, during Wednesday’s King’s Speech, the government delivered a promise he made to the JC last month – to bring in legislation to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In his opening remarks on the Commons debate on the King’s Speech, he made reference to the attack in Golders Green, which he said was “the latest in a series of appalling antisemitic attacks”.
He went on to talk of “...a normalisation of hatred that leads terrorists with warped Islamist ideologies to attack people they have never even met, simply because they are Jewish; a hatred that leads some to march calling for the murder of British Jews, and not to think that there might be something wrong about that.”
Despite facing criticism from some in the Jewish community for agreeing to serve in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet while in opposition, he also made reference to his fight against antisemitism within Labour while calling on the country to take a stand against rising Jew-hate: “I have fought that hatred in my own political party, and I have sat with others as they describe what it means for them – the fear, the sense that maybe they should not wear something or do something that might reveal their Jewish identity, just in case. It is time for the silent majority in this country to speak up, to stand with British Jews and to defeat this hatred once and for all, just as we will take on any form of hatred, from left or right, that seeks to divide us.”
Though some commentators have written him off, some key Labour factional operators, such as Luke Akehurst MP, associated with moderate grouping Labour First, have come out to bat for Starmer.
Perhaps, even now, the prime minister will see off any attempt to depose him and will, for the time being at least, continue to reside in No10.
But if not, what do we know about his challengers and potential rivals?
Wes Streeting
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 09: Wes Streeting speaks during the 'Future Of Britain' conference at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel on July 09, 2024 in London, England. The Tony Blair Institute's annual conference on the future of Britain, co-hosted by My Life My Say, focuses this year on governing in the age of AI. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's speech addresses how the UK can tackle its current fiscal challenges by reimagining the state. Other speakers, including the newly appointed Health Secretary Wes Streeting, explore new visions for the AI sector, the NHS, European politics, and more. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)Getty Images
In 2009, the JC reported on the then president of the National Union of Students campaigning against antisemitism within the student movement, noting that he was verbally abused while reading Alan Dershowitz’s The Case for Israel on the London Underground.
He was elected to Parliament to the marginal constituency of Ilford North in 2015, home to small but significant Jewish community.
Streeting, associated with the right of the Labour Party, was critical of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and was a strong voice against antisemitism within the party during his tenure. Often publicly blasting Corbyn for his inability to take robust enough action, he disagreed with the then-leaderships’ assertions that the party had a “zero tolerance” approach to antisemitism and blasted the then general-secretary for saying that it was “impossible to eradicate” antisemitism within the party.
In opposition, Streeting served on Starmer’s frontbench, including as shadow health secretary from 2021.
Streeting’s majority at the 2024 general election was slashed from 5,198 to 528 as he faced a strong challenge from a pro-Gaza independent candidate.
During his time as health secretary, he was reportedly one of the key voices within cabinet pushing the prime minister to recognise a Palestinian state.
The MP for Ilford North also voluntarily released communications between him and former New Labour grandee Peter Mandelson claiming he had “nothing to hide”, amid an ongoing probe into Mandelson relating to his relationship with the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In the private messages, he accused Israel of committing “war crimes” and “talking the language of ethnic cleansing”.
As health secretary, Streeting has promised a crackdown on antisemitism in the NHS and in March began a consultation with the aim of making it easier to sack antisemitic doctors.
Shortly after the attack on Hatzola ambulances in March, he wrote in the JC: “Antisemitism is an old hatred, but it is alive and kicking in our country, and all of us, particularly those who are not Jewish have to wake up, stand up, and work with our Jewish friends and neighbours in confronting and defeating this despicable hatred.”
Angela Rayner
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Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner. Credit: Labour Friends of Israel[Missing Credit]
Of the rumoured candidates to succeed the prime minister, his former deputy is one of the more realistic contenders.
Forced to resign in September after it was revealed that she had not paid enough tax during the purchase of a flat in Hove, on Thursday morning Angela Rayner announced that she had been “cleared” by HMRC of any deliberate wrongdoing.
Rayner, a former care worker elected at the 2015 general election, is more favoured by the left of the party and would likely have significant backing from Labour’s affiliated trade unions.
Some of Rayner’s remarks over the years earned her considerable criticism from within the Jewish community.
As shadow education secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, there was criticism of the Board of Deputies for inviting her to a Chanukah event in 2018.
That same year, she apologised for calling the controversial book The Holocaust Industry by Norman Finkelstein – which argues that the American Jewish establishment exploits the memory of the Nazi Holocaust for political and financial gain – a “seminal” work.
She said at the time: "I was reflecting on my visits to Auschwitz and speaking about the importance of remembering the Holocaust in order to continually challenge and confront antisemitism.
"I regret the choice of quote I used to illustrate it, and now that I know more about the context I would not make that reference again. I apologise for what was a genuine misunderstanding, in what was always intended to be a message of solidarity with the Jewish community.”
In another post on social media, Rayner had written that opponents of Mr Corbyn required a “bigger smear” to damage Labour.
The tweet used Commons library figures to show Labour’s 540,000 membership at the time and included the wording: “We’re going to need a bigger smear.” She deleted the post and then wrote: “It was smears against Labour Party in general, no mention of antisemitism smears? Our membership continues to grow despite hostility from sections of the MSM.”
Under Sir Keir Starmer, serving as shadow communities secretary, Rayner expressed opposition to the BDS movement, and in government, while substituting for Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions, she refused to endorse a suggestion by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that Israel was guilty of “genocide”.
In 2024, she also spoke at Labour Friends of Israel’s reception at the Labour Party’s annual conference, where she said the government would “do everything in our power to protect the Jewish communities and ensure that those responsible for antisemitic hate crimes feel the full force of the law.”
In April last year, while communities secretary, Rayner wrote for the JC following her visit to Bergen Belsen following the 80th anniversary of the camp’s liberation: “This year we also remember the 80th anniversary of VE Day, when war in Europe ended and peace finally returned. In those years since we can appreciate how far we’ve come to build a society which upholds the values of tolerance and freedom that people across Europe so bravely fought for.
“Yet we cannot ignore that here at home, on our streets, our Jewish communities continue to face prejudice and hatred. We will fight the poison of antisemitism and hatred in all its forms and we will make sure that “never again” truly means never again.”
Andy Burnham
Metro Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham addresses the Jewish community (Photo: Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester & Region)[Missing Credit]
“A Blairite, a Brownite, a Milibandite and a Corbynite walk into a pub. ‘Hi Andy,’ says the barman.” So goes oft-repeated the joke about the Mayor of Greater Manchester and his ability for re-invention.
As a minister under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, he was seen as being on the right of the Labour Party.
He loyally served in Ed Miliband’s shadow cabinet when Labour were booted into opposition. He served as Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow home secretary and did not resign when other frontbench colleagues did following the vote to leave the European Union in and to trigger a leadership contest in him. He only did so to stand to be Labour’s candidate for the Greater Manchester Mayoralty, where he defeated Tony Lloyd, another former Labour MP.
In office, he has maintained good relations with the Jewish community in Manchester and praised their positive impact on the city.
However, a survey carried out by the Campaign Against Antisemitism in 2025 found that he had only a 12 per cent satisfaction rate. Yet this was higher than London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan (on 9 per cent) and his dissatisfaction rating was 33 per cent, compared to Khan’s 85 per cent.
The former health secretary was also one of the voices who urged Sir Keir Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state, even though Israeli hostages were still being held by Hamas.
In October 2023, less than a month into Israel’s conflict in Gaza, he along with Khan and a minority of Labour MPs, urged Starmer to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, something denounced as “irresponsible” by communal organisations.
In the aftermath of the Heaton Park terror attack, the mayor spoke at a vigil but unlike David Lammy, wasn’t booed.
The prospect of Burnham’s return to Westminster has been discussed for some time. However, he is unable to challenge for the leadership as he is not an MP.
His exclusion for being able to be a candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election – which Labour lost to the Greens – was decried. But, as of the time of writing, no Labour MP has indicated a willingness to give up their job to allow him the opportunity to do so.
Ed Miliband
Secretary for Energy Security Ed Miliband (Image: Getty)Getty Images
Could Britain finally have a Jewish prime minister (or at least the first who wasn’t baptised if you count Benjamin Disraeli)?
Though rejected by the electorate in 2015, the energy secretary – one of two Jewish members of Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet – is hugely popular among Labour Party members.
He is regularly ranked highly by party members in surveys by LabourList.
Although it was denied when reported by the Times earlier this week, there has been some chatter about a potential Miliband return in Westminster if there is no left-wing alternative in a leadership contest.
As party leader during the 2014 Gaza conflict, Miliband criticised the then-Convservative government for not rebuking Israel's operations, which he described as “wrong and unjustifiable”.
In 2017, Miliband described himself as the “bridge” between New Labour and Jeremy Corbyn, praising the former leader’s better than expected defeat at the general election.
He was criticised by some for his relative silence about the antisemitism crisis within the party under the MP for Islington North’s leadership.
Al Carns
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 23: Veterans minister Al Carns addresses the audience at the National Exhibition Centre after the announcement that Birmingham will host the 2027 Invictus Games on July 23, 2024 in Birmingham, England. Al Carns, Minister for Veterans and People, was joined in a flag-raising ceremony with Dominic Reid, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation (IGF), and Helen Helliwell, CEO of the Invictus Games for 2027. Birmingham was announced as the host city for the 2027 Invictus Games, an international adaptive sports event for wounded and injured servicemen and women, founded in 2014 by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)Getty Images
The armed forces minister who is a former royal marines colonel was first elected to parliament in 2024, succeeding one-time Labour Friends of Israel Steve McCabe chair as the MP for Birmingham Selly Oak.
Carns served and led during four tours in Afghanistan and was awarded the Military Cross in 2011 “in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2010 to 31 March 2011”.
The Aberdeen-born military man only hung up his uniform in May 2024 to run for election to the Labour Party. It is highly likely that he attended the party’s annual conference in September 2024 for the first time as a minister.
But his lack of a experience as a plotter or party-apparatchik doesn’t seem to have quelled any chatter about a potentially surprising leadership bid.
He has had little to say about Israel. However, as armed forces minister he confirmed in answer to a parliamentary question from Zarah Sultana that "Fewer than five British Armed Forces personnel have studied on educational staff courses in Israel since October 2023", leading to anger from pro-Palestine campaigners about UK-Israel defence cooperation.
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