Labor leader Mark McGowan has finally broken his silence on the threats to his leadership, failing to rule out party powerbrokers could be sharpening their knives in an attempt to remove him.

Over the past week, two high-ranking Labor insiders have told WAtoday there is a plot brewing within the party to remove Mr McGowan before the March 2017 election.

Mark McGowan says he is unsure what party colleagues may say about him behind closed doors. Credit:Bohdan Warchomij

One source said a coup to replace the Labor leader with opposition housing spokesman Peter Tinley had been on the cards since June last year, but the move was aborted after a strong showing by the party in a January Newspoll. The poll showed Labor with a lead of 53 per cent to 47 per cent over the Barnett government on a two-party preferred basis.

The Labor insider said if the next polls showed Mr McGowan and the party had gone south in their popularity, the knifes would be sharpened again.