Keir Starmer faces a fight for his political survival as around 40 Labour MPs call on him to resign, with potential leadership rivals including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner positioning themselves for a contest.
Starmer hopes to save his job with a speech on Monday promising to face up to challenges on growth, energy, defence and Europe. However, his prospects appear to be fading after disastrous local election results saw Labour lose support to Reform UK and the Greens.
Angela Rayner 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 the possibility of a 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 run for a seat.
An ally of Wes Streeting said: 'Wes isn’t going to challenge Keir but he is preparing in case it all falls apart.' The health secretary has delivered this message to No 10 but does not want to be first to move against the prime minister, even though some allies push for a challenge after Starmer's speech.
Labour backbencher Catherine West is gathering names for a 'stalking horse' challenge if Starmer does not set a timetable to quit, seeking 80 supporters among MPs to trigger an immediate contest. Burnham's backers have tried to persuade her to withdraw, as it would not leave him enough time to enter parliament.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the government had 'dwelt too much in the challenge' and needed boldness. Starmer will attempt to stop speculation with a speech defining his government by 'putting Britain at the heart of Europe', saying 'incremental change won’t cut it'.
