Keir Starmer has plan to save his neck – throw biggest ally under bus | Personal Finance | Finance

The PM will do anything to cling onto power. Which is weird, because he has no idea what to do with it. A man of immense self-regard, Starmer simply likes feeling important. He loves nothing better than strutting about it international conferences, pretending he has the power to deliver victory in Ukraine and peace in the Middle East. Unlikely, given that his government can’t even stop a few rubber boats. He’s not going to leave No 10 willingly, even after Labour is battered at next month’s elections. Instead, he will activate his survival plan.

Starmer is no leader. He can’t inspire, can’t make decisions and can’t stand firm when challenged. But there are times when even this flip-flopping non-entity can be ruthless. When his job is threatened, he will sacrifice anybody or anything, to save his neck. In less than two years he’s lost two cabinet secretaries, two chiefs of staff, two Foreign Office permanent secretaries (the latest being Olly Robbins) and four directors of communications. Only one person needed throwing under a bus in every case. Sir Keir himself.

Now he’s lining up another sacrificial victim. And it’s the most loyal cabinet member of all. That won’t save her. She’s served her purpose.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is next for the chop, according to senior Labour sources. Keir Starmer is preparing to shove her under a bus in a last-ditch attempt to save himself. He reckons another reboot might buy him a little longer in power. It will fail, of course. Just like all the others.

There are dozens of reasons to sack Rachel Reeves. They all boil down to the same thing. She isn’t up to the job. On her watch, taxes, spending, borrowing, debt, unemployment and prices have gone through the roof. She calls it “restoring stability”.

That’s not why she’s going though. Starmer doesn’t care about that. As far as he’s concerned, Reeves only has one function. To act as a human shield, and divert the flak from him. Now she’s served her purpose, and the PM is ready to cut her loose. I almost feel sorry for her.

Reeves has always been loyal to Starmer. She was visibly outraged when a protestor threw glitter over him during the 2023 party conference. She’s previously argued that there’s “no credible alternative” to Starmer as leader, urging the party to “stick to the plan”.

Reeves is also the only one in Parliament who finds his so-called “jokes” funny, hysterically laughing along. That takes real loyalty.

With Starmer, loyalty only works one way. When Reeves broke down in Parliament, the PM didn’t even notice. He’s also forced her into two humiliating U-turns, over the winter fuel payment and botched welfare reforms. And now he’s about to cut her loose. It’s the final humiliation for his loyal chancellor, but her departure won’t save Sir Keir. Without his human shield, he’ll be defenceless. The next bus that comes along will have his name on it. And it’ll serve him right.