A former minister has withdrawn from launching a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer, but is now calling on Labour MPs to press the Prime Minister to set a date for his resignation. Catherine West had earlier indicated she would challenge Sir Keir for the party leadership as early as Monday afternoon in an attempt to force the Cabinet to propose a replacement as prime minister.
However, after a speech in which Sir Keir declared he would not “walk away,” the former Foreign Office minister announced she would instead seek support within the party for the Prime Minister to outline a resignation timetable by September. In a statement, Ms West said: “I have listened to the Prime Minister’s speech this morning. I welcome the renewed energy and ideas. However, I have reluctantly concluded that this morning’s speech was too little too late. The results last Thursday show that the PM has failed to inspire hope. What is best for the party and country now is for an orderly transition.”
Speaking to the Press Association, she added that she believed Sir Keir’s speech had been “heartfelt,” but it did not “change the mathematics of how many seats we lost on Thursday.” Speculation about the Prime Minister’s future has intensified since Thursday’s elections, which saw Labour lose nearly 1,500 English councillors, fall behind in Scotland, and drop to third place in Wales. The electoral setback has prompted a growing number of Labour MPs to call for Sir Keir to step down or set a departure timetable. So far, 43 Labour MPs have publicly demanded his resignation, with others suggesting they might follow suit if he does not change course quickly.
In a speech in central London on Monday, Sir Keir accepted “responsibility” for the losses but insisted he would continue. Addressing those calling for his resignation, he said: “I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I’ve got some doubters, including in my own party. I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I have to prove them wrong, and I will.” The speech, billed as outlining sweeping reforms to tackle Britain’s “big challenges,” included measures such as legislation to nationalise British Steel, a ban on “far-right agitators” entering the UK for a planned Saturday march, and a plan to place the UK “at the heart of Europe.”
Sir Keir framed the current political moment as a “battle for the soul” of the UK, warning that if Labour fails, the country would head down “a very dark path.” He stated: “This is nothing less than a battle for the soul of our nation and I want to be crystal clear about how we will win it because we cannot win as a weaker version of Reform or the Greens. We can only win as a stronger version of Labour, a mainstream party of power, not protest.” A few backbenchers voiced support for the Prime Minister after the speech, with Macclesfield MP Tim Roca and Gedling’s Michael Payne saying Sir Keir had shown he understood “the scale of the challenge.”
However, others continued to demand his resignation. North Northumberland MP David Smith, who has served as the UK’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief since 2024, said Labour owed “a debt of gratitude” to Sir Keir but could not “carry on with the approach we have taken” since the general election. Some have looked towards Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, suggesting he should be allowed to return to Parliament. But Sir Keir declined to comment on whether he would support Mr Burnham’s return, stating it was a matter for Labour’s national executive committee (NEC). The NEC, dominated by Starmer supporters, blocked Mr Burnham from contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election earlier this year, a seat that was subsequently won by the Greens.
In a speech to the Communication Workers Union, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner—herself considered a potential leadership contender—said the decision to block Mr Burnham should be “put right.” She said: “We as a party have to do better than this and we can only prove we mean our Labour values by putting the common interest ahead of factionalism. And we can start by accepting that Andy Burnham should never have been blocked. It was a mistake that the leadership of our party should put right.” London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan also backed Mr Burnham’s return to Parliament, telling PA this should happen “sooner rather than later,” but stressed he was not calling for a change in leadership, only a “change in the pace of delivery.”
Financial markets reacted negatively to Sir Keir’s speech, with UK government bonds and the pound coming under pressure. Yields on 30-year government bonds rose 10 basis points to 5.68%, while 10-year gilt yields increased 8 basis points to 4.99%. Sterling weakened, falling 0.2% against the US dollar to $1.36 and 0.1% against the euro to €1.15. Responding to the speech, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described it as “sad to watch,” adding: “With so many resets, even his reset button needs a reset. But I do not take pleasure in watching the Prime Minister flounder. The country needs leadership, not another speech from a man who clearly knows something has gone badly wrong, but still can’t explain why.” Mrs Badenoch also dismissed Labour’s “pretenders jostling for his job,” saying: “They are busy arguing over who should drive the car, but the truth is they are all heading in the wrong direction. They have no vision for the future.”
