Keir Starmer is fighting for his political future as potential Labour leadership rivals, including Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner, begin positioning themselves for a contest. Around 40 Labour MPs have called on the prime minister to set a date to step down, many of them supporters of Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.
Starmer hopes to save his job with a speech on Monday promising to 'face up to the big challenges' on growth, energy, defence and Europe. However, his prospects appear to be fading after disastrous local election results saw the party lose support to Reform UK and the Greens.
One ally of Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: 'Wes isn’t going to challenge Keir but he is preparing in case it all falls apart.' Streeting has delivered the same message to No 10 but does not want to be the first to move against the prime minister, even though some allies are pushing for a challenge after Starmer’s speech.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has set out her prescription for change and warned Starmer he needed to 'meet the moment'. Her supporters say she is not set on being a candidate but is prepared for a leadership run. She also backed a return to parliament for Burnham, who would be the leading candidate to replace Starmer if he could run for a seat.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said it was 'possible' for Starmer to win back areas lost to Reform UK, but he needed to show boldness in his speech. 'The window of opportunity has narrowed,' Kyle told Sky News. 'He has to set out a direction and a scale of boldness.'
Labour backbencher Catherine West is pressing ahead with a 'stalking horse' challenge if Starmer does not set a timetable to quit, seeking 80 supporters to trigger a contest. Burnham’s backers have tried to persuade her to withdraw, as it would not leave Burnham enough time to enter parliament. One MP described West’s intervention as 'like one of those free-running horses at the Grand National'.
