Leading cabinet ministers remain at risk of losing seats

Pro-Gaza candidates threaten Labour MPs, pollsters warn

- KATE DEVLIN WHITEHALL EDITOR

Sir Keir Starmer’s historic decision to recognise Palestinian statehood later this year will not be enough to stop some of his top cabinet ministers from facing major battles to hang on to their seats, leading pollsters have warned.

Health secretary Wes Streeting and justice secretary Shabana Mahmood are among those who could be ousted from parliament at the next general election, the UK's top pollster Sir John Curtice warned, in the face of major challenges from pro-Gaza candidates.

Sir Keir lost a key member of his top team, Jonathan Ashworth, to a pro-Palestine independent candidate at the last election. Mr Streeting was among those who held his seat, but saw his majority in his Ilford constituency slashed from 5,198 in 2019 to just 528.

Now, pollsters warn that anger over the issue of Palestine, on which Jeremy Corbyn's newly announced political party will attempt to capitalise, could see the end of Mr Streeting and other high-profile casualties from the cabinet.