Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary, saying it is "clear" that Sir Keir Starmer will not lead Labour into the next general election. His resignation letter, addressed to the prime minister, called for a "battle of ideas" and urged Starmer to facilitate the contest.
To trigger a formal leadership challenge, any contender must secure the backing of 81 Labour MPs – 20 per cent of the parliamentary party. Written nominations must be submitted to party general secretary Hollie Ridley. If a challenge succeeds, Starmer would appear on the ballot automatically as the incumbent.
Alternatively, if Sir Keir were to step down voluntarily, a contest would begin immediately. The timeline for the election would be set by Labour’s National Executive Committee. The process comes after Labour’s poor local election results, which saw the party lose nearly 1,500 councillors.
Potential candidates include former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, and energy secretary Ed Miliband. Burnham would need to return to parliament to stand. Sir Keir has said he will not "walk away", but dozens of MPs have called for his departure.
