Matt Hancock: Keir Starmer missed 'open goal' says Susanna Reid

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Ahead of the crunch Batley and Spen by-election on Thursday, insiders in the party have revealed they expect to lose the seat which has been held by Labour since 1997. With the party set to suffer another loss, some within the Labour have expressed their fury over losing another stronghold. Such is the resignation to losing the seat, some insiders have begun to plan for post-Batley as pressure mounts on Sir Keir’s tenure as leader.

In one inside account of the campaign, one MP said: “Unlike in Hartlepool, there’s just seems to be an acceptance this time that we should believe what we’re seeing in Batley, which is if people are not talking to you and lifelong voters are saying they’re not going to vote for you, then you accept you’ve lost it.”

The seat was vacated after former MPs Tracy Brabin announced her candidacy for the West Yorkshire Mayorality, which she won in May.

While candidate, Kim Leadbeater is seen as a popular figure in the area, MPs have expressed their anger towards Sir Keir and his inability to make a decision.

Although Sir Keir has made a raft of internal changes, some insiders believe the current leader doesn’t understand what is required to become Prime Minister.

One told the Huffington Post: “Part of the problem is he seems to think that you just need to hire the right person and somehow they’ll make him a future prime minister.

“He doesn’t seem to understand most of that is down to him. They need to know what his gut is telling him.

“He will acknowledge you’re basically right, nod, and then somehow he just doesn’t make it happen.

“And no one can understand what the hell that’s about.

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“Some people are more despairing than others, it’s like ‘just make a f*g decision, man’.”

Amid the pressure on Sir Keir, it has been claimed both Angela Rayner and Dawn Butler could put forward leadership bids.

Ms Butler was seen by some with a camera crew in the seat last week, which some believed was in preparation for a possible leadership launch.

It is thought Ms Butler would also have the backing of the 34-strong Socialist Campaign Group of pro-Corbyn MPs.

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Ms Butler, who was a staunch ally of Jeremy Corbyn and former Shadow Cabinet member, was forced to deny any leadership bid.

In a statement issued to The Telegraph, Ms Butler said: “Like many MPs, I travelled up to Batley this week to support Kim Leadbeater and work for a Labour win.

“I never have been, and never will be, part of a coup against a Labour leader and have no interest in standing against Keir.

“Labour needs to improve – and that was clear from some of the doorstep conversations – but that is up to the current leadership to put right.”

Following the poor election performance in May, Ms Rayner had been set to be demoted by Sir Keir but following an internal clash, she was subsequently appointed as shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster as well as a newly created post as shadow secretary for the future of work while remaining Deputy Leader.

In order to trigger a leadership contest, more than 40 MPs are needed to back plans under party rules.

A poll by Survation of 510 people placed Tory candidate Ryan Stephenson as winning 47 percent of the vote ahead of Labour with 41 according to its date from June 7-10.

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