As Labour implodes, who's going to stop Nigel Farage becoming the next Prime Minister?

Even I, however, was taken aback on Wednesday morning to find news of an imminent Labour leadership coup splashed across the media. In fact, this coup turned out to have been a surprise to everyone, including those supposedly leading it. When the dust settled, it emerged that it was the clever boys in No 10 who had created this media disaster – all by themselves.

Gossip and infighting is, it has to be said, the least constructive part of politics, entertaining though it may be. Unfortunately that is not the same as it being unimportant – particularly when it breeds the chaos on which the far right thrives.

As Labour turns in on itself, we have to ask if they are really up to the task of stopping Nigel Farage becoming the next Prime Minister.

READ MORE: How Sir Keir Starmer could be ousted as Prime Minister

Self-indulgent infighting

If there was one truly clear mandate in Labour’s landslide election win last year, it surely was to deliver competent, stable government.

People may not have been enthusiastic about Keir Starmer but, after years of Tory scandal and chaos, voters were prepared to give him the keys to No 10 on the promise of an end to the self-indulgent infighting and short-term thinking. This was, we were told, going to be a government of hard-headed, practical professionalism.

Less than a year and a half later, however – in what really ought to be the “easy” period for any new government – Labour may not yet be quite as chaotic as their Conservative predecessors, but they are rapidly heading in the same direction.

Whether it is backbiting briefings from anonymous sources, the revolving door of ill-advised advisors or their chaotic approach to legislation, Keir Starmer has frittered away confidence in his party at record speed – and with little substance to show for it.

The far right thrive on this chaos. They seek to drive a narrative that our institutions and our government are broken and must be torn down. With the indecision and lack of leadership in his government, Keir Starmer seems almost determined to prove them correct, and to hand Nigel Farage the keys to No 10 in the process.

Political leadership required

There may yet be time for Labour to right the ship – with or without Keir Starmer still at the helm – but they have already done enormous damage to their credibility in the past year.

Voters have to ask if this Labour party is really going to be the vehicle for moderate, competent politics going forward – and whether they can really take the fight to the far right in the way that is needed.

If we are going to head off Nigel Farage and Reform, we need political leadership that knows what it believes in and can bring people together, rather than driving more division.

We have had Tory chaos. We now have Labour chaos. The last thing we need is future chaos driven by Reform – so it is time for serious political parties to step up where Labour cannot.

Alistair Carmichael is the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland