Senior Labour ministers are being put on notice they might be axed later this year amid fresh reports Sir Keir Starmer is planning his first Cabinet reshuffle.

In what would represent yet another ‘reset’ of the PM’s stumbling premiership, No10 aides are said to be in the early stages of plotting a rejig of Government ranks.

According to The i, Labour insiders believe late spring or early summer is the first chance Sir Keir will have to hold a reshuffle without it seeming like a panicked move.

This would be after Chancellor Rachel Reeves‘ spring statement on 26 March and the local elections on 1 May, at which Reform UK are eyeing a major breakthrough.

The newspaper reported that Attorney General Lord Hermer, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson could be targeted in a shake-up.

But a No10 source attempted to dampen down growing speculation about a reshuffle, telling MailOnline it was ‘nonsense’ to suggest one is being planned for later this year.

Sir Keir previously attempted to ‘reset’ his administration in early October – after a turbulent first three months as PM – when he made sweeping changes in No10.

Sue Gray was replaced as Sir Keir’s chief of staff by Morgan McSweeney, while the PM also made a string of other appointments to beef up his Downing Street team.

Tories suggested a late spring or early summer reshuffle would be akin to a ‘rearrangement of the deckchairs’ on the Titanic.

Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, said: ‘Last month I asked the Government if the Attorney General’s position was tenable.

‘Now, for all Keir Starmer’s backing of Lord Hermer, it looks as if the Attorney General’s position isn’t tenable after all. This mooted reshuffle won’t help the rearrangement of the deckchairs.’

Polling experts suggested Sir Keir should focus a reshuffle on removing ‘unnecessary noise’ and bringing in political ‘bruisers’ like senior Labour MP Emily Thornberry.

Luke Tryl, UK director of the More In Common think tank, said: ‘If there is a reshuffle Labour should focus on two things.

‘1. Get rid of unnecessary noise that detracts from Labour’s core messages – e.g. education has been an unnecessary mess and little political gain. 2. Bring in bruisers willing to take political fight on airwaves e.g. Thornberry.’

Lord Hermer has faced questions in recent weeks about how his previous work – including representing ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams – could result in possible conflicts of interest in his Government work.

The Attorney General, who is the Government’s chief legal adviser, last month said he has recused himself from advising ministers on ‘certain matters’ but could not give details as he was bound by convention.

It also recently emerged that Lord Hermer once spoke up in support of disgraced lawyer Phil Shiner, whose war crime claims against British troops were dismissed by a public inquiry as ‘deliberate lies’.

The Attorney General is also under scrutiny over his handling of the Chagos Islands deal. 

Meanwhile, questions have been raised about Ms Phillipson’s approach to Ofsted reforms and the running of academies.

Ms Nandy had not initially been lined up for the role of Culture Secretary in a Labour Government.

She was handed the role after Thangham Debbonaire, who was Labour’s shadow culture secretary prior to the general election, failed to win her Bristol Central seat.