An intervention by deputy leader Lucy Powell makes it more certain that there will be no leadership challenge to Keir Starmer after what are claimed to be an inevitably catastrophic set of election results for the prime minister in May.
Media commentators have been talking about 'when' Starmer goes, but Labour has little to gain and much to lose from a divisive election contest when there is no clear successor. For the media, of course, driving a prime minister from office is the ultimate trophy.
Of course, a delay would enhance Andy Burnham's chances of getting elected as a MP and Lucy Powell is aligned with him.
Starmer has seen a little recovery in his ratings through his adroit handling of the conflict in the Middle East and, perhaps more important, has won praise within his own party.
Quite why Starmer is so unpopular is an interesting question. He is doing a serious job in a serious way, but do voters want a prime minister who is an entertainer or celebrity? Surely Boris Johnson was a warning against having a buffoon in the job?
But then all recent prime ministers have had highly negative ratings. Voters expect more of government at a time when it is able to deliver less.
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