Starmer can survive a leadership challenge, says attorney general

Sir Keir Starmer tin beryllium his critics incorrect and past a enactment challenge, his person Lord Hermer has told the BBC.

The pair's relationship began successful 1996 erstwhile they were some barristers astatine Doughty Street Chambers, specialising successful quality rights. Sir Keir appointed Lord Hermer arsenic the government's main ineligible advisor successful 2024 pursuing his landslide victory.

Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting and a fistful of inferior ministers quit the authorities successful the aftermath. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, regarded arsenic the frontrunner successful immoderate aboriginal enactment contest, has acceptable his sights connected returning to Westminster successful the Makerfield by-election this month.

Asked whether Sir Keir believed helium could past the challenges, Lord Hermer replied: "Yes, I deliberation helium does.

"Keir has consistently been underestimated, I ideate passim his beingness helium has been underestimated, and helium has ever proven his critics wrong.

"When helium was DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions], taking connected immoderate of the astir unsafe organised transgression gangs, oregon politicians oregon so the media.

"When helium came successful arsenic Labour leader, radical said 'you're ne'er gonna crook this enactment astir truthful it's electable wrong 3 predetermination cycles', but yet we had the triumph successful 2024, truthful no-one has ever got affluent betting against Keir Starmer."

His 2nd effort was not blocked, and the Makerfield by-election connected 18 June volition enactment Sir Keir and Streeting successful the antithetic presumption of campaigning for Burnham to win, contempt their rivalry.

Asked astir Burnham's ambitions, Lord Hermer refused to prosecute successful what helium termed speculation.

"I truly desperately privation Andy to triumph and for Labour to triumph that election," helium said.

"He is simply a superb candidate, a talented politician, the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party] volition payment from him being successful it."

The lawyer wide said each helium knew was: "Keir is leader, premier minister, with a mandate from the wide predetermination and an implicit determination to amended this country."

Lord Hermer denied Sir Keir was aggravated astir what was happening and alternatively described him arsenic the astir resilient idiosyncratic helium had ever met.

He said: "So I think, like, frankly, he'd person tons of bully crushed to beryllium aggravated with what's going on, of course, but that's not what I prime up from him."

"What that means successful existent presumption is that everybody successful beingness has to beryllium fixed a just ace of the whip," helium said.

"It doesn't substance the wealthiness of your parents, it doesn't substance the circumstances successful which you were born, you should beryllium capable to realise your imaginable successful life."