Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer could resign as early as Monday following Andy Burnham’s decisive by-election victory in Makerfield, according to multiple reports. The win has intensified calls for a Labour leadership challenge, with over 100 MPs now urging Starmer to step down.
Burnham's Victory Triggers Leadership Crisis
Andy Burnham’s win in the Makerfield by-election on Thursday has raised the prospect of an imminent Labour leadership contest, putting immense pressure on Sir Keir Starmer. Despite repeated vows not to walk away, the Prime Minister is reportedly accepting that he no longer commands sufficient support among Labour MPs to remain in office.
Reports in the Telegraph and the Observer indicate that Starmer may resign or set out a timetable for his departure this week. The number of Labour MPs calling for him to go has exceeded 100—roughly a quarter of the party’s parliamentary representation—including some who signed a letter warning against a leadership contest just last month.
Senior Labour Figures Urge Starmer to Step Aside
Former home secretary Alan Johnson has publicly stated that Starmer should step aside, while Lord Falconer remarked that the Prime Minister has “no authority” because it is widely assumed he will be replaced. A senior ally told the Sun there is “just a 25 per cent chance he fights on now.”
The Observer cited a Labour peer who believes Starmer sees that “stopping ‘chaos’ (as he rightly put it) is now not possible by staying.” Senior Labour figures anticipate a “clear statement” could come as early as Monday. A Starmer loyalist told the Telegraph that support among his own MPs has dwindled to a small number of “friends and family,” making an announcement of his departure likely on Monday.
Starmer's Defiant Stance Fading
No 10 insisted on Friday that Starmer’s position remained unchanged, with the Prime Minister stating he will not “walk away” from Downing Street and plans to stand in any potential contest. During a call with Labour staffers on Friday, he warned against “plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement.”
However, he is understood to have spoken to several Cabinet ministers on Friday, some of whom advised him to set out a timetable for his departure. Westminster insiders suggest a leadership contest could begin as early as next week, though Burnham’s allies favour a longer timeline to prepare for government.
Burnham's Camp Prepares for Transition
It is understood that Burnham’s camp wants Starmer to outline his plans in the coming days but would accept a timetable keeping him in No 10 until September. The incoming Makerfield MP is expected to be in Westminster on Monday to be sworn into the Commons and plans to meet Starmer afterwards, presenting a list of backers—reportedly aiming for up to 200—to press for a transition.
Labour peer Charlie Falconer dealt a further blow to Starmer, stating that the Prime Minister has “absolutely no authority” because “everybody assumes” Burnham will challenge and win. Falconer advised Starmer not to stand in a leadership contest and instead agree to a handover, preferably before the parliamentary recess on July 16.
Former deputy leader Baroness Harriet Harman, whom Starmer appointed as a special envoy for women and girls, noted a “sense of collective movement” within Labour and expected Starmer to leave office with Burnham taking his place. She urged the party to move faster than a September timetable, telling Sky News’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast that ministers could not be left “in a state of paralysis all through the summer.”
