Phillipson: challenge to Starmer would be wrong despite election ‘kicking’

Education secretary says voters feel let down but do not want Labour to ‘spend more time talking amongst ourselves’

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Labour MPs would be wrong to remove Keir Starmer, even though voters have given the party a “real kicking” at the ballot box and people feel “bitterly let down”, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said.

Phillipson said Labour had been “too gloomy” and had made a mistake in trying to withdraw the winter fuel allowance, after the party lost control of about 40 councils and 1,500 seats at the local elections on Thursday.