Keir Starmer is fighting for his political survival as around 40 Labour MPs call for him to step down, with potential successors Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner positioning themselves for a leadership contest. The prime minister hopes to save his job with a speech on Monday promising to tackle challenges in growth, energy, defence and Europe, but his prospects appear to be fading after poor local election results saw the party lose support to Reform UK and the Greens.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is understood to have told No 10 he is not planning to challenge Starmer directly but is preparing for a potential vacancy. An ally said: 'Wes isn’t going to challenge Keir but he is preparing in case it all falls apart.' Some of Streeting's allies are pushing for a challenge after Starmer's speech, believing it to be his best chance.
Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, has set out her prescription for change and warned Starmer he needs to 'meet the moment'. Her supporters say she is not set on being a candidate but is prepared for a possible leadership run. She also backed a return to parliament for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who would be the leading candidate to replace Starmer if he could secure a seat.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle acknowledged the window of opportunity has narrowed, saying Starmer must show boldness in his speech. 'I do believe it is possible... but I accept also the window of opportunity has narrowed as a result of the elections last week,' he told Sky News. Kyle added that the government had 'dwelt too much in the challenge' and needed to counter pessimism with new efforts over Europe.
Labour backbencher Catherine West is pressing ahead with a 'stalking horse' challenge, seeking 80 supporters among MPs to trigger an immediate contest if Starmer does not set a timetable to quit. However, Burnham's backers have been trying to persuade her to withdraw, as a swift challenge would favour Streeting, Rayner or other cabinet contenders like Ed Miliband. One MP described West's intervention as 'like one of those free-running horses at the Grand National'.
Starmer will attempt to halt the speculation with a speech promising to define his government by 'putting Britain at the heart of Europe'. He will say: 'To meet the challenges that our country faces, incremental change won’t cut it. On growth, defence, Europe, energy – we need a bigger response than we anticipated in 2024, because these are not ordinary times.'
