Politically, when someone on your own side is comparing you to dog mess, you know something has gone wrong – especially when they’re doing it to try and be supportive.
It has been a difficult few weeks for Sir Keir Starmer and his government, with speculation about a leadership challenge followed by a chaotic run-up to the Budget, a period of damaging leaks and U-turns.
Earlier this week, the Times newspaper said that it had spoken to three Scottish Labour MPs who want to see the prime minister ousted before elections to the Scottish Parliament in May.
In anonymous comments, the MPs reportedly said they fear Labour will be “slaughtered” in those elections, in part thanks to the prime minister’s unpopularity.
In response, another Scottish Labour MP told the Daily Record newspaper, using colourful language, that claims of a plot were rubbish.
But in the process they admitted the prime minister was about as popular as something you wouldn’t like to step in while out for a walk.
So amid the briefing and counter-briefing, and with Starmer set to visit Scotland less than six months until Scots go to the polls, what really is the mood in the Scottish Labour contingent at Westminster?
Are they on the brink of revolt?
How Scottish parties will try to maximise election votes in six months
Scotland to receive £820m boost from UK Budget
Explained: What does the Budget mean for Scotland?
Scottish Labour MPs get together every two weeks or so. They last met on the day of the Budget, so they haven’t had the chance to discuss the latest negative press.
“When we do, colleagues are going to be pretty furious,” one member of the Scottish group told me.
“It just isn’t helpful to go around making out as if we’re going to get humped.”
While it might have been a point of tension between the Scottish party and UK government in the past, and came in the midst of a chaotic Budget, Scottish Labour MPs are pleased at finally being able to say the two-child benefit cap has been lifted.
But there’s no denying there’s plenty of unhappiness too.
In the past few weeks I have had Scottish Labour MPs describe the prime minister to me as “terrible” and the conduct of his government, particularly in terms of the chaotic briefings that surrounded last week’s budget, as “incompetent” and “mind-blowingly stupid”.
That is very different from wanting Starmer out, though.
Culturally and practically, it is difficult for Labour to get rid of its leader – and especially for Scottish Labour MPs.
In the party’s long history, Labour MPs have never formally challenged one of their sitting prime ministers, let alone ousted them.
That’s quite different from the Conservatives, who have held votes of confidence in two of their last three PMs. Liz Truss didn’t last long enough to face one.
And from a Scottish Labour perspective, the timing doesn’t make sense right now.
A party insider described talk of a leadership challenge before May to me as “politically inept”.
“Do they really want to use up all the time when the focus will finally be on the SNP’s record on a leadership contest?” they asked.
