Voters will never forgive us if we get rid of Keir Starmer, Cabinet minister Steve Reed tells MPs

Cabinet minister Steve Reed has warned MPs that voters 'will never forgive' Labour if they oust Sir Keir Starmer from No 10.

The Communities Secretary has warned colleagues as well as activities to not go against one another in a bid to boot the Prime Minister from the top spot.

The MP for Streatham and Croydon North said his party ought to remember that their voters were fed up with the Conservatives 'chopping and changing' leaders.

His recent remarks come after Sir Keir confessed leadership rumours were 'rife' as he faced scrutiny from MPs over briefings against the Cabinet and Budget leaks.

The PM squirmed as he was pressed on the behaviour of his own No10 aides during an intense session at the powerful Commons Liaison Committee earlier this month.

And damning YouGov research recently found half of the public expect the PM to be gone within a year, including 19 per cent who are 'definite' about his demise.

Among those rumoured to run for leadership if Sir Keir receives the boot are Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, health secretary Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester.

Mr Reed warned Labour to learn from the Tories' mistakes, remarking how there was 'absolutely no stability' in the UK during their reign of 'chopping and changing.'

'When the British people last year voted for change, they wanted to get away from that kind of instability and chaos,' he told the Huffington Post.

Noting how laying foundations for change 'hasn't been easy' or 'visible', he recognised his peers and the public's frustration.

He was adamant that remaining 'on course' on issues such as the NHS, the cost of living, the economy, as well as immigration was essential for prosperity.

'The British people will never forgive us if we fall inwards on each other rather than focusing on the crisis that is facing them out there on the streets,' he added.

'Under the previous government, we started to sink into decline and division and a lot of people believe that we can't get out of that doom loop now. But we can.

'This country has always achieved incredible things – looks at what we did after the Second World War, look at what we did when we built the National Health Service.'

Describing the UK as a country 'of incredible talent and ambition', he urged the government to remain focused on its potential.

Your browser does not support iframes.

He went on to assure the public that's what both he and his colleagues 'spend [their] waking hours doing.'

It comes as believe Keir Starmer is spending his last Christmas in No10 as anger mounts within Labour ranks.

YouGov research found half of the public expect the PM to be gone within a year, including 19 per cent who are 'definite' about his demise.

That compared to just 35 per cent who thought he has a chance of surviving until the next festive season.

The growing sense of doom surrounding the premier is a stark contrast to his triumphant arrival in Downing Street just 17 months ago, on the back of a landslide election victory.

The government's misery deepened earlier this week as it announced another humiliating U-turn, watering down the inheritance tax raid on family farms just days after Sir Keir insisted it was 'sensible'.

Despairing Labour insiders have complained that the leadership seems to have learned nothing from the debacle over the winter fuel allowance and abortive effort at benefits reforms.

They now braced for a climbdown on business rates increases, which have seen Sir Keir and other Labour MPs banned from pubs across the country.

Labour Party chair Anna Turley told Sky News at the weekend that Sir Keir would 'absolutely' still be PM next Christmas.

Voters also appear pessimistic about the prospects in 2026, with just 15 per cent hopeful their own financial situation will improve over the next year, while 40 per cent expect things to get worse.

Some 39 per cent anticipate little change.

Despite the grim backdrop, the latest YouGov poll did show Reform's advantage on headline voting intention narrowing from 10 points to five.

Sir Keir's allies will be watching closely to see if that trend continues to show up in the New Year.