Unherd: Will the stalking horse bring down Starmer?

An almost forgotten character walked back onto the stage of British politics this weekend. After decades in the wilderness, the “stalking horse” — previously a star of Tory leadership dramas — was revived by Labour MP Catherine West when she announced that if the cabinet did not challenge Keir Starmer’s leadership by Monday, then she would.

The idea of a stalking horse is about as far removed as you can get from today’s Labour Party. Its original use was to describe hunters who disguised themselves as they approached their target. When transferred into the political lexicon, it means an unlikely leadership candidate standing against an incumbent leader to lay the groundwork for more serious challengers.

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