Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has chosen to fight rather than face a leadership contest after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar urged him to stand down two weeks ago, according to party sources. Downing Street moved swiftly to contain the threat, and while an uneasy truce now holds, the clock is ticking towards the May elections.
The truce persisted even after Labour’s humiliating defeat in the Gorton and Denton byelection, where the party came third behind the Greens and Reform UK. One cabinet minister told the Guardian: “It’s not working but I don’t see what the alternative is.” A senior party figure described MPs as “dejected, doomful but not mutinous”, while a Labour MP called it “stalemate – for now”.
Starmer’s allies believe he has time to prove detractors wrong, pointing to the spring statement on Tuesday and cost of living measures due in April. In a letter to MPs after the Gorton result, Starmer said he “gets it” and insisted he would lead Labour into the next general election and win it, despite trailing in the polls.
However, even his closest aides acknowledge that the aftermath of the May elections will be a crunch point. Angela Rayner’s response to the Gorton defeat – “This result must be a wake-up call… we have to be braver” – was seen as a potential leadership bid, though her allies say she will not instigate a contest. Health secretary Wes Streeting remains low-profile, while Andy Burnham’s allies see an opportunity for a reset after the departure of Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.
Some Labour MPs, particularly on the soft left, believe McSweeney’s exit clears the way for a shift towards the party’s progressive wing. But others focus on Starmer’s perceived inauthenticity and lack of political judgment. “We need more urgency, clarity and a clearer story,” a cabinet source said. For now, the party leadership truce holds, but the countdown to May has begun.
