A recent poll by LabourList found that Ed Miliband is by far the Labour Party membership’s favourite Cabinet Minister. While this reflects the tendency among party members to amplify its more activist wing, it also sits uneasy with wider economic pressures. The party’s most committed advocate of rapid decarbonisation has already pushed energy bills higher through overly ambitious Clean Power 2030 commitments. If he were to run the country, he could raise the cost of living just as sharply. 

Recently, the number of U-turns from the government has been politically awkward for Keir Starmer. From reversing plans to hold elections in May to the mishandling of Peter Mandelson’s appointment, having the acquiesce and release his vetting files, the Labour Party’s current trajectory appears unstable. Advisors, senior civil servants, and party officials have taken the wrap for previous mistakes by Starmer, just how long can his position as the PM remain tenable?

It is therefore plausible that a senior Labour figure could mount a leadership challenge amid perceptions of strategic drift at the top of the party. While the PM may be sinking, a government driven by a strong radical left vision could be much more destabilising for the British economy. 

“It is therefore plausible that a senior Labour figure could mount a leadership challenge”

Ed Miliband is one such figure,…