Keir Starmer’s grip on power appeared to be slipping away on Monday as senior cabinet ministers urged him to set out a timetable for his departure, with more than 70 Labour MPs publicly calling for him to stand down. The prime minister warned the country would “never forgive” Labour for plunging into the chaos of a leadership election, but insisted he intended to prove his doubters wrong.
The Guardian understands that four senior cabinet ministers – Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Defence Secretary John Healey, and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy – were among those who spoke to Starmer on Monday. Some told the prime minister he should oversee an orderly transition of power after crushing election defeats risked ending his premiership. Others discussed taking a “responsible, dignified, orderly” approach to what might follow. However, several others, including Richard Hermer and Steve Reed, were defiant, urging him to fight on.
One cabinet minister said: “In the end Keir has listened to cabinet ministers – there are differences about where this will go and what is in the best interests of party and country. He’ll have to make a decision about what he’s going to do before cabinet tomorrow.” Chief Whip Jonathan Reynolds spent the day in Downing Street, conveying the mood among backbenchers to the No 10 operation.
Among those outside the cabinet publicly calling for Starmer to resign were close allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who urged a “swift” timetable. Supporters of Andy Burnham also published letters calling for the prime minister to go. Sources on Labour’s ruling national executive committee suggested they could take a different course next time regarding Burnham’s candidacy. Angela Rayner appeared to throw her weight behind Burnham, arguing that blocking him had been a mistake.
Starmer survived an immediate threat after Catherine West, a potential stalking-horse candidate, changed course and said she was gathering names of MPs who supported an orderly transition. More than 70 MPs, representing 25% of the party’s backbenchers, said Starmer had failed to convince them he could lead the country into the next election. In a speech earlier on Monday, Starmer said he would not resign and would fight any leadership challenge, stating: “I take responsibility for not walking away, not plunging our country into chaos, as the Tories did time and again.”
