Wes Streeting allies anticipate him attempting to throw down the gauntlet and challenge Keir Starmer's leadership "within weeks" despite the health secretary publicly declaring he supports the Prime Minister and harbors no intentions of making any coup attempts against the embattled Labout leader.
Starmer endeavored to restore party unity on Tuesday following a chaotic Westminster day on Monday that saw Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar denounce him and his communications director depart.
The Prime Minister stated he would "never walk away" from his UK transformation mission, receiving additional support through public backing from both Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Streeting.
However, MPs close to the health secretary maintain he continues seeking to replace Starmer and stands prepared to contest him once this month's Gorton and Denton byelection is settled at the polls.
One revealed Streeting must act immediately following May's local elections at the very latest to forestall a potential challenge from his most probable rival Angela Rayner, who is awaiting the results of her £40,000 property tax probe.
An MP stated: "Nothing has changed. There was a big performance of unity yesterday but Keir is no safer than he was yesterday."
Another Labour MP said: "We need to act quickly. There is a big risk that we meander and end up in this tepid decline where we all make ourselves feel better but a Reform government becomes inevitable. Wes has the numbers, but it will require a steeliness and a determination that most colleagues have not to date shown."
The MP continued: "At this point Keir is a zombie. He is in the Theresa May phase of his leadership."
However, a Streeting spokesperson characterised the MPs' assertions as "categorically not true."
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Another Labour backbencher observed: "The reality is the public does not like or trust Keir Starmer. Once we have the results of the local elections, it will become unavoidably clear that something bigger needs to change."
The MPs' remarks are at complete odds with Tuesday's public unity demonstrations shown by cabinet members.
Streeting informed the BBC: "The prime minister has got my full support. He is leading our country through an enormous set of challenges and people have got to recognise the integrity with which he does that."
Burnham also endorsed the Prime Minister, declaring at a central London event that it was time for everyone to be "facing in the same direction and pulling in the same direction around our ambitions."
The Guardian reports Starmer chaired an extensive Tuesday morning cabinet meeting wherein ministers conducted what one source termed a "frank and broad" examination of his leadership failures.
A cabinet insider subsequently stated: "We think Keir should remain in place but the culture in No 10 has to change completely and the briefings against colleagues need to stop."
Following that gathering, Streeting and Starmer spoke with one source indicating the warring pair aimed to clear the air between them.
Starmer delivered a Tuesday speech at a Hertfordshire event insisting: "I will never walk away from the mandate I was given to change this country, I will never walk away from the people that I'm charged with fighting for, and I will never walk away from the country that I love."
Officials continue investigating whether the health secretary and Sarwar coordinated actions, with Sarwar having ignited Monday's turmoil through his resignation demand.
A senior minister observed: "There were junior ministers and PPSs [parliamentary private secretaries] ready to go. It went off half cocked. There was a plan, it just didn't work. I think the story now is Wes's misjudgment. The release of the [Peter Mandelson] texts has not relieved people of their doubts and it looks obsessive, even desperate."
A Downing Street source commented: "Wes just did not move, this all feels very James Purnell."
Purnell departed his role as Gordon Brown's work and pensions secretary in 2009 via a resignation designed to trigger ally David Miliband's leadership campaign, which ultimately failed to launch.
Others have determined no collusion transpired between Streeting and Sarwar, though remaining skeptical of the health secretary's pledges of ongoing loyalty.
They cite Streeting's pre-planned Monday release of Mandelson text messages, making it an impractical time for orchestrating a parallel leadership strike.
Streeting supporters emphasized that while Sarwar delivered his statement, the health secretary was simultaneously recording a Sky News interview pledging support for the Prime Minister.
One declared: "Before Anas Sarwar made his statement, Wes told Sky News that Keir needs to be given a chance and shouldn't resign. I'm afraid the conspiracy theory doesn't fit the timeline of events."
A minister contributed: "No 10 seems to have an obsession with Wes. People are saying that he bottled it without any evidence he was going for it. Wes is a smart political operator who would have known that if you get out and call for the PM to go and don't have a plan and outriders come in behind you, it would fall flat."
MPs believe Starmer's survival depends upon both the Gorton and Denton byelection outcome and May's subsequent local elections.
One assessed: "Keir is there but he can't stay for long. His name keeps coming up on the doorstep – people hate him. They didn't fully trust him before the election and they definitely don't after [his decision to cut] winter fuel payments."
