Labour MPs are already furious with Keir Starmer as he's accused of basic bad manners
Backbenchers have been left seething by the way the Prime Minister has treated them.
Labour MPs fear Sir Keir Starmer is “getting carried away” with his victory, after it emerged the Prime Minister did not inform sacked front-benchers they were losing their jobs.
As fury builds, Sir Keir has still not thanked 22 former shadow ministers who loyally served him in opposition but were demoted to the backbenches following the election.
One said they were not told about the move directly, but instead learned of their fate when ministerial appointments were published online.
Now a former shadow minister has warned Sir Keir might live to regret his post-election reshuffle if the Government runs into difficulties and he finds himself in need of backing.
The Labour MP cautioned: “At the end of the day, he’s got to try not to get carried away with his majority.”
Referring to a Conservative election victory under Boris Johnson, they went on: “In 2019, people thought Boris would be prime minister for 10 years, but where is Boris today and where is the Tory Party? Things change so quickly in politics now.”
Another MP predicted Sir Keir would need support from backbenchers if he faced a leadership challenge.
Labour does not have a formal mechanism for removing a leader while in government, but ex-Labour PM Gordon Brown battled various bids to force him out of office in 2009.
The Labour MP added: “He is going to need people in the future and they are going to remember how brutally they were handled by him.”
Most MPs who serve as shadow ministers in opposition expect to be given a ministerial role if their party wins power, although this is not guaranteed.
Another former shadow minister said the leadership figures made the sackings more painful than necessary, saying: “He never rang me, I haven’t had a note from him. I have heard nothing from the leader’s office.”
Responding, a Labour source insisted party whips had engaged directly with everybody affected during the transition from opposition to government after the election.
