If Starmer goes, can Labour’s Corbyn critics keep hold of power?

Keir Starmer is only a year into his job as Labour leader, but could his time in charge soon come to an end? Starmer is under increasing pressure following his failure to revitalise Labour. A bad set of results on 6 May could mean the final nail in the coffin.

If Starmer is ousted – and that remains a big if, given the lack of viable contenders for the job – Corbyn’s critics within the Labour party will quickly find themselves in a difficult position. With no heir apparent on the Labour right, Starmer’s departure could easily mean the left taking control of Labour all over again.

Yvette Cooper has been touted by some as a ‘compromise candidate’, in the event that Starmer does depart. But it seems unlikely that many on the Corbyn wing of the party would be willing to accept Cooper. What’s more, whoever gets chosen as the candidate for the Corbynite left would be the clear favourite if a leadership election happens this side of the next general election.