It is a plot line worthy of a Sopranos episode. A newly-elected Prime Minister, flushed with electoral success, triumphantly sacks his onetime rival – only to discover, a year later, that she is now in pole position to become his new deputy. That’s right folks, Emily Thornberry – the gin-loving, flag-bashing Islington Dame – has returned to haunt Keir Starmer once more. Trebles all round!
With Angela Rayner gone, the question of who succeeds her as deputy leader is exercising much of the Labour party. Early opinion is that it has to be a woman and preferably one who can provide a bit of a foil to Starmer. Luckily, there is no shortage of disgruntled, displaced and dissatisfied wimmin who fit the bill. Louise Haigh and Lucy Powell are two names being floated by Andy Burnham, the ever-unhelpful Mayor of Manchester: both of course were sacked by Starmer.
But there can surely be no more delicious potential candidacy than that of Emily Thornberry. She was the only re-elected member of the shadow cabinet who did not make the transition into government on 4 July 2024. Instead, Starmer opted to ditch her, preferring to ennoble his old mate Richard Hermer. To quote Tyler Durden of Fight Club, ‘How’s that working out for ya?’
Speaking on Laura Kuenssberg this morning, Thornberry played the part of a helpful-but-wounded Labour supporter to perfection. In her lyrical tones, she praised the ‘fantastic’ work of her colleagues in government but noted, alas, that ‘nobody seems to be hearing about that.’ ‘Why are we making these mistakes?’ she mused aloud. One might wonder indeed, Emily.
Asked by Kuenssberg directly if she would stand, Thornberry replied:
I’m thinking about it and it’s really a question of what can I bring to this. I hear what is said about the deputy leader should come from Manchester, and I’m sure that the mayor of Manchester would say that, I’m sure that people would say that they should come from Wales or Scotland. What’s important is what you bring. Do you have the strength, do you have the experience, can you actually make a difference?
Cometh the hour, cometh the Thornberry. Mr S waits with relish for the contest to kick off properly…
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