Ex-Labour Deputy Warns Against Starmer Ouster Plot

Labour party unity faces fresh scrutiny as senior figures issue stark warnings against internal machinations to remove current leader Keir Starmer. The cautionary statements come at a time when speculation about leadership challenges has circulated within Westminster corridors, prompting experienced voices to intervene with appeals for party cohesion.

Tom Watson, the former deputy leader of the Labour Party, has emerged as a prominent voice urging MPs to abandon any plotting against Starmer. Watson's intervention carries particular weight given his historical role in Labour's internal politics, having served as a junior minister during one of the party's most turbulent periods. His message to the parliamentary Labour party is unambiguous: attempting to oust the current leader would prove deeply damaging with the electorate and undermine the party's electoral prospects.

The 2006 attempted coup against Tony Blair represents a pivotal moment in Labour's recent history, and Watson's involvement in those events gives his current warnings added credibility. That internal rebellion ultimately weakened Blair's authority and contributed to a period of party instability that many Labour figures believe cost them dearly in subsequent electoral contests. Watson's experience from that turbulent episode has informed his perspective on the dangers of internal party rebellion.