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Angela Rayner is at the centre of speculation that she could move to oust Sir Keir Starmer after the local elections. The Prime Minister is clinging to power ahead of this Thursday's ballots, where Labour is expected to face a drubbing.

There are rumblings that Sir Keir will be hit by a leadership challenge potentially by Ms Rayner. Allies of the former deputy prime minister are confident she would be able to gain the support of the 81 MPs required to launch a coup.

Rumours are also swirling about Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

It is thought that neither Ms Rayner nor Mr Streeting want to be the first to break ranks.

It comes as the Ashton-under-Lyne MP - who quit as deputy PM, housing secretary and deputy Labour leader in a row over her tax affairs - has made a series of public interventions in recent months.

Speaking last month, Ms Rayner called for the Government to take "bold action".

She said: "Let's tell a bold story about how we're tackling the immediate crisis and taking the first steps towards an economy that's built for one interest that we should all serve, and that's the British people."

It comes as Labour MPs are reportedly discussing plans to push for Sir Keir to set a resignation date in an open letter if the local elections are a bloodbath.

But the Prime Minister has urged his party not to repeat the Tory mistake of "descending into political infighting".

Writing in The Observer over the weekend, he said: "We have a choice. We could sink into the politics of grievance and division. Or we could rise to this moment - together - in a national effort that matches the scale of the threats and turbulence we face.

"When the nation rallied together to deal with Covid, the last government could have channelled that spirit to build a better nation. But instead, they descended into political infighting and let the country slump back to the old status quo. Not this time."