Who is in charge? The prime minister’s authority is in question again

Who is in charge? You might think the answer should be obvious.

“This government should be walking on water, there should be nothing it can’t do,” a Whitehall insider suggests, given the rows and rows and rows – and yes, rows – of Labour MPs who line up behind the prime minister every Wednesday.

But, by booting out a small band of backbenchers this week, Sir Keir Starmer’s put the question of his authority back on the table.

Answering the question of who is in charge isn’t so simple after all.

This government has a “backbench they – and we – are surprised to discover they can’t control,” says one senior official.

The financial markets are breathing down its neck, with the country’s debts sky high, and for good measure,…