From defiance to acceptance: five quotes that chart Starmer’s downfall

Rapid change has hardly been unusual in British politics in recent years, but the change of tone from Keir Starmer and his supporters in just 48 hours has been striking – and appears to chart the shift in his position on his own future from one of defiance to glum acceptance.

Speaking to Sky News, Harman paraphrased Boris Johnson’s wildlife-based analogy for his own downfall, and called for swift action, saying the government could not exist “in a state of paralysis all through the summer”.

She added: “We don’t want a situation where cabinet ministers are resigning to try and push Keir Starmer out.”

5. Sunday morning: ‘I don’t want to come on here and be delusional’

Peter Kyle, the business secretary, was handed the unenviable task of going out on Sunday’s broadcast round, to be repeatedly asked whether it was the case that Starmer had decided he would set out a timetable for departure on Monday.

While maintaining he had no inside knowledge, Kyle said he had talked at length to the prime minister on Friday, who he said had been “very mindful of the interests of the country”, asking Kyle for his advice. And his observation that Starmer was aware of the “political realities” left little room for doubt about what he expects to happen.

It was a tricky balancing act – be loyal, while at the same time not resemble an Iraqi government spokesperson insisting all is well as the US tanks rumble into Baghdad – and Kyle pulled it off. The subtext, as it had to be, was clear: yes, a new prime minister is on the way.