Momentum grows for Labor leadership challenge as last chance to replace Premier Jacinta Allan approaches

Momentum is growing for a challenge to Jacinta Allan’s leadership ahead of parliament returning next week.

Victorian Labor MPs have been holed up in Ballarat this week for their annual caucus retreat, with media reports describing the mood among MPs as “despondent”.

Ms Allan dismissed reports MPs were plotting against her earlier this year, branding it “anonymous gossip”.

“I’m focused on Victorians … not anonymous gossip that could be from a few scallywags out there that might need a bit of a cuddle,” the Premier said in March.

Fear of a wipeout at the November election has led to a resurgence of leadership rumblings, according to The Australian.

There is now a growing number of Ms Allan’s own Socialist Left faction withdrawing their support.

A block of MPs linked to the Left-controlled ETU and AMWU, and others from the so-called Southeast Left, have joined the majority of Right faction MPs.

The defectors say the party needs to change leader if it has any hope of retaining government, according to the outlet.

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll – the most likely replacement – has repeatedly ruled out challenging for the leadership.

However, there is growing support for a cross-factional delegation going to Ms Allan to convince her to stand down.

This comes after Police Minister Anthony Carbines delivered a fiery spray over the party’s failure to address concerns about the Big Build corruption scandal.

The senior Labor MP reportedly told colleagues that on their current trajectory, next year’s caucus retreat would be much smaller.

“We won’t need a caucus conference next year, we’ll all fit in a minivan,” he told his colleagues.

Labor Party rules allow the leader to be dumped by a simple majority vote of caucus.

However, this would only be done if there is a consensus candidate to replace her.

If multiple MPs then nominate for the role, party rules dictate that a vote of both the parliamentary Labor caucus and Victorian party members would need to be held to decide the result.

With just four months to go before Victorians go to the polls, a drawn-out leadership battle would likely be catastrophic for the party’s chances of retaining government.