Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to prove his doubters wrong as he faces mounting pressure from Labour backbenchers to resign or set a timetable for his departure, despite his insistence he will not quit following a set of bruising local election results.
Comparisons with Tony Blair
The discussion surrounding his political future has drawn comparisons with Labour predecessor Sir Tony Blair’s exit from No 10. Crucially, however, there is no obvious successor to Sir Keir, unlike Gordon Brown’s clear path at the time.
Catherine West's Challenge
Catherine West had previously said she would challenge Sir Keir for the party leadership as early as Monday afternoon in an attempt to force the Cabinet to put forward a replacement as prime minister. But following a speech in which Sir Keir said he would not “walk away”, the former Foreign Office minister said she would now canvass support within the party for the Prime Minister to set out a timetable for his resignation by September.
Potential Successors
Speculation is rife regarding the ambitions of his former deputy, Angela Rayner, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Yet, Ms Rayner awaits the outcome of a review into her tax affairs, and Mr Burnham is not currently an MP.
How a Labour Leadership Contest Would Work
There is no formal confidence vote procedure to oust a Labour leader. Any challenger to Sir Keir would instead require the support of 81 MPs – 20 per cent of the party in the Commons – to trigger a contest. Written nominations would need to be submitted to Labour general secretary Hollie Ridley.
In the case of a successful challenge, Sir Keir would be on the ballot by default as the incumbent and would not need to gather nominations. If Sir Keir were to resign, it would automatically start a contest for a new leader. It is up to the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee to set the timeline for a leadership election.
Latest Developments
Speculation about the Prime Minister’s future has surged since Thursday’s elections that saw Labour lose almost 1,500 English councillors, go backwards in Scotland and slump to third in Wales. The electoral mauling has prompted a succession of Labour MPs to call for the Prime Minister to step down, or set out a timetable for his departure.
In a speech in central London on Monday, Sir Keir said he took “responsibility” for the losses but insisted he would fight on. Facing down those calling for his resignation, Sir Keir 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.”
