POLL: Should Angela Rayner replace Keir Starmer?

Sir Keir Starmer is on the ropes with calls mounting for him to step aside because of the Mandelson scandal. After it came to light that the Prime Minister appointed the disgraced peer as Britain’s Ambassador to the United States without complete security vetting, the leaders of every Opposition party demanded his resignation.

Even several Labour MPs made the demand. Over the past few days, reports have circulated that Sir Keir could face a slew of scheming MP’s, all plotting when would be best to bring him down. Last week, it was reported that Angela Rayner had met with Andy Burnham – allegedly to plot the downfall of the Prime Minister.

And more recently, MPs have told national newspapers that it is a matter of ‘now or never’, the Prime Minister is removed from No. 10. The conspiracies have come off the back of a dangerous period for Downing Street after Sir Keir was accused of incorrectly telling the house that “due process” had been followed in the peer’s appointment to Washington.

Sir Keir has repeatedly said that he has not misled the house.

But Ms Rayner, branded the ‘Red Queen’ by Westminster insiders, has been subject to widespread reporting that she is plotting her revenge on her former boss alongside a cabal of allies, who have briefed the Mail on Sunday that the removal of Sir Keir “needs to happen now, otherwise this deadly stalemate will drag on forever. That it’s now or never.”

It comes ahead of a politically dangerous week for the Prime Minister, who could face a vote by the House of Commons to decide his political future. This week, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsey Hoyle – who was elected as a Labour MP – will decide whether or not he will grant Opposition parties a vote to refer the Prime Minister to the privileges committee.

Such a vote, if passed, would trigger a “sleaze inquiry” as MPs decide whether or not Sir Keir misled the House over the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador. The same committee brought down Boris Johnson, and allies of the Prime Minister say that if the vote passed, and he was called to the Committee, he would, in effect, be finished.

Ms Rayner is one of the main rivals to Sir Keir ahead of a potential leadership race, and is considered the frontrunner, as Labour Mayor Andy Burnham would be facing an uphill battle as he does not hold a seat in Parliament. It was reported that Ms Rayner may consider holding back on her bid until after her tax affair issue has been put to bed.

But sources told the Mail on Sunday that she may press ahead sooner, as she thinks she will either be exonerated or found only to have committed a minor technical breach for underpaying stamp duty on her seaside pad on the south coast.

One source told the paper: “Ideally, she wanted to wait for the tax issue to be sorted. But she came to the view that if it all kicked off she’d have to throw her hat in the ring. And it’s all kicking off.” Another said that the former Deputy Prime Minister was “over the moon” to be edging closer to an agreement on the matter with tax bosses.