Peter Hitchens argues in this Daily Mail opinion piece that the effusive tributes paid by Labour MPs to Sir Keir Starmer upon his departure ring hollow, given that many of the same figures were instrumental in pushing him out. He suggests the praise is designed to obscure the reality of an internal Labour coup, and singles out Andy Burnham as a key beneficiary of Starmer's removal who is being unfairly cast as a bystander to the process.

The column ties Starmer's exit to wider turmoil within Labour, including Burnham facing backlash over proposals to release the killers of PC Andrew Harper early and a public spat between Burnham and Health Secretary Wes Streeting over prisoner-release remarks. Hitchens uses these episodes to portray a party riven by infighting and questionable judgement, framing the leadership change as the product of internal manoeuvring rather than genuine popularity or consensus.