How Labour rebels will put Nigel Farage in Downing Street if they keep undermining Keir Starmer

With inflation hitting 3.6 per cent – the highest level since January last year – and the economy shrinking by 0.1 per cent in May, much depends on which path the Chancellor chooses to try to escape the country’s problems.

The UK is teetering on the brink of very real economic problems, and it seems clear this will require at least some hard choices. In dealing with this, ministers are not helped by supposed allies on the left who sometimes act as if the fabled ‘magic money tree’ really does exist.

A righteous thrill

The suspension of Alloa and Grangemouth MP Brian Leishman from the party, along with other welfare reform rebels, is an attempt by Starmer to clamp down on internal dissent. Leishman said he wished to remain a Labour MP but also appeared defiant about his decision to vote against the government.

There should be room within parties for some disagreement and MPs should not always have to toe the party line. However, it’s important for rebels to consider the wider context: a troubled economy, talk of setting up a new hard-left party, and union attacks on the government.

Constantly undermining Starmer and co, making them look weak and Draconian in turn, might provide a righteous thrill, but the end result could be something similar to the ill-fated government of Jim Callaghan, brought down by the Winter of Discontent strikes. And that, of course, led to the Thatcher government so reviled by the left.

However, this time there is no new Thatcher waiting in the wings. Instead, the UK would likely find itself with a hard-right government led by Reform UK’s Nigel Farage, whose economic policies owe more to the hapless Liz Truss. Thatcherite policies caused considerable hardship, but a second dose of ‘Trussonomics’ would be much, much worse.