Who Could Challenge UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer? A List of Potential Candidates

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed to prove his doubters wrong as he fights for his political future following last week's disastrous local election results. Speculation is mounting that a leadership contest may not be far off.

In a key speech on Monday (11 May), the leader of the ruling Labour Party insisted he remains the person to deliver change and would take responsibility for fulfilling the party's election pledges. Labour swept to power in July 2024 after a landslide victory, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. Since then, support for Starmer has slumped, while Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party has surged.

In last week's local elections, Labour lost more than 1,460 council seats in England – most of them to Reform UK – the worst result for a governing party in over three decades. The outcome prompted MPs to call for Starmer's resignation. He has refused, describing his government as a "10-year project" and acknowledging that the party under his leadership had made mistakes.

Discontent with Starmer's leadership has grown over the past year. In London, the industrial heartlands of central and northern England, as well as Wales, voters have turned away from Labour, mainly shifting support to Farage's party. A major issue has been Starmer's failure to tackle immigration. Despite signing a "one-in, one-out" deal with France last year, only a small number of illegal migrants have been returned.

Pressure also increased after the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US in December 2024. Mandelson was sacked after controversial emails between him and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were exposed. Starmer was criticised for ignoring warnings, but he apologised and said he was unaware of the deep and dark relationship.

Starmer's approval ratings are among the lowest of any Western leader. According to an Ipsos poll, half of British voters think Starmer should resign, and two-thirds believe he is unlikely to win re-election. The next general election must be held by July 2029.

To trigger a leadership contest, more than 20% of Labour MPs (equal to 81) must support a new candidate. Professor Tim Bale of Queen Mary University London said this is a serious possibility given the level of discontent within the party.

Here are the potential candidates:

Angela Rayner – former Deputy Prime Minister and left-wing trade unionist, seen as one of the most credible challengers, though she has not formally declared. She was Housing Secretary but was forced to resign last year over a ministerial code breach on tax. Rayner has called for Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to return to parliament and might back him in a leadership race.

Wes Streeting – Health Secretary, often seen as centre-right within the party but holds a left-wing stance on some issues such as Gaza. Some MPs assess him as a strong communicator who may have already secured the 20% support needed from Labour MPs. However, his previous friendship with Mandelson could weaken support.

Catherine West – a lesser-known north London MP, who previously threatened to trigger a leadership contest but later withdrew. She criticised Starmer's speech as "too little, too late" but admitted she did not have enough backing to force a contest.

Andy Burnham – Manchester Mayor, seen as a better prime minister than Starmer by 34% of Britons, according to a YouGov survey. However, he currently has no seat in parliament and would need to win a by-election before he could run.