The leader of a Labour-affiliated union has called for Angela Rayner to replace Keir Starmer as party leader, warning that the prime minister risks leading Labour to a heavy defeat against Reform UK. Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), said she expects Labour to lose the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election and that Starmer should step down afterward.
Eslamdoust is the first union leader to openly demand Rayner take over, stating that Labour has never had a female leader despite the Tories having had three women prime ministers. She described Rayner as a “credible figure” and urged women MPs to support her. The call adds to pressure on Starmer after a difficult week in which he lost his chief of staff and communications director, and faced a no-confidence comment from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.
A spokesperson for Rayner dismissed the idea, saying “there is no contest and no vacancy” and that Labour must focus on delivering for the public. Starmer secured backing from the cabinet and key figures including Rayner, but many in the party believe a leadership challenge could come after the by-election or local elections in May. Allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting have suggested he may challenge Starmer, though Streeting has denied this.
Eslamdoust, who formerly advised Jeremy Corbyn, wants Rayner to move the party leftwards with stronger workers’ rights and nationalisations. She criticised Starmer’s “series of poor political judgments” and said trust in him is gone. A Downing Street spokesperson defended Starmer, noting he is one of only four Labour leaders to win a general election and has a five-year mandate.
