The race to replace Starmer is on - but he still faces a momentous choice
Key takeaways
- Laura Kuenssberg Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg BBC"Every morning when he wakes up, it's been the same two questions.
- An ally of the prime minister tells me for several months those have been No 10's preoccupations.
- But it's become academic because Streeting has quit government to prepare for a run at the top job.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Laura Kuenssberg Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg BBC"Every morning when he wakes up, it's been the same two questions. Does Wes have the numbers? And does Andy have a seat?"
An ally of the prime minister tells me for several months those have been No 10's preoccupations. The answer to the first is still disputed - Wes Streeting's team says "Yes". Team Starmer says "No way".
But it's become academic because Streeting has quit government to prepare for a run at the top job. And then, a frenzied No 10 discovered on Thursday morning that Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, had found an MP willing to give up their seat so he can take a crack at it, the start of his long-anticipated attempt to make it to No 10. It might not be official, but the contest to replace the prime minister is on.