Catherine West, the Labour MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, has revived the 'stalking horse' tactic last used in 1989, launching a challenge against Sir Keir Starmer that she later scaled back. The move has been described by some colleagues as 'fundamentally unserious', with one MP saying it 'has made everything worse'. West initially announced on Saturday that she would seek nominations from 80 Labour MPs to trigger a leadership challenge, but on Monday she changed course, instead calling for Starmer to set a September deadline for his departure.
West, a former Foreign Office minister born and raised in Australia, was reportedly furious after Labour's poor performance in last week's local elections. She saw friends lose council seats, and Labour lost control of Haringey, where her constituency mainly sits, to the Greens. A friend said she is 'terrified at the idea of Reform just walking into Downing Street' and believes the party needs a 'street fighter' to combat them, adding that Starmer 'has many qualities but he's not that'.
West's plan was to smoke out a cabinet minister to take over, rather than stand herself. She told the New Statesman: 'I don't have a candidate. That's part of the problem.' She suggested Starmer could be given a different role, such as foreign secretary. However, no cabinet minister stepped forward, and some MPs worried an accelerated challenge would feel like a stitch-up. Supporters of Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, also wanted a more relaxed timetable to allow him to return to parliament.
On Sunday, West appeared on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show alongside Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, urging cabinet ministers to act. She said: 'Well, there's nothing stopping Bridget from standing. Why are all the men better than all the women?' Phillipson replied: 'I love you dearly, Catherine, but I just disagree on this one.' By Monday, West had changed tack, announcing she would email every Labour MP asking if they wanted Starmer to set a September deadline to step down, hoping a large list of names would pressure him.
