In the wake of Angela Rayner's departure, Number 10 has carried out a swift and drama-free reshuffle that is all about delivery, but they shouldn't congratulate themselves too soon.

While they focus on pragmatism, political forces that have been threatening to destabilise the entire Starmer project are about to be unleashed.

Firstly, the Labour party itself, which has always been an unwieldy beast, is getting ready to bite.

Politics latest: Reform's withering verdict on Johnson

With Rayner's exit , Number 10 has lost its working-class human shield, its bridge between the party and the prime minister, and the northern woman who made its pale, male leader more palatable to a sizable section of the movement.

Any dwindling loyalty from the left was largely linked to her and, in her

See Full Page