UK PM Keir Starmer Faces Potential Leadership Challenge After Election Defeat
Christine Maguire
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is likely to face a leadership challenge after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections. Over 30 Labour MPs have called for his resignation or a departure roadmap. Starmer is expected to deliver a speech on Monday to reassure the public and his party of his leadership capabilities.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is likely to face a leadership challenge, as numerous lawmakers call for his resignation following the Labour Party's unexpected defeat in local elections.
Labour backbencher Catherine West has urged cabinet ministers to “act quickly” to replace Starmer. She said she plans to send an email to colleagues seeking support on Monday morning, unless another candidate steps forward.
More than 30 Labour MPs have called on Starmer to resign or set a departure timeline, including his former ally Josh Simons. In a piece for The Times, Simons wrote that Starmer has “lost the public's trust.”
Last week's election saw Labour lose nearly 1,500 council seats in England, primarily to the Reform UK party and the Green Party. In Wales, First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat, ending the party’s 27-year rule. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party held its position, with Labour coming second.
However, some continue to support the prime minister, including Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. She told Sky News she does not believe “a leadership race and all the turmoil that comes with it is the answer.”
Starmer is scheduled to deliver a speech on Monday, alongside the King's Speech on Wednesday, aiming to convince the public and his party of his leadership capabilities. According to Reuters, he is expected to argue that his government will be “defined by rebuilding relationships and placing Britain at the center of Europe.”
In an editorial in The Guardian on Friday, Starmer took responsibility for the election results, noting that Labour “failed to maintain public confidence that we are doing enough” to deliver change. He said that while it is important to heed the message from voters, “that doesn't mean shifting to the right or left.”
Starmer appointed former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Deputy Labour Leader Baroness Harman to key government roles on Saturday, seen as a move to shore up support.
A leadership contest requires the backing of 81 Labour MPs. Potential challengers to Starmer include Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Starmer's government took office in 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule with a landslide victory. His popularity has waned due to the decision to cut winter fuel subsidies amid the cost-of-living crisis, and the scandal involving US Ambassador Peter Mandelson and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
During this period, support for the right-wing Reform UK party and the progressive Green Party, led by Zack Polanski—a vocal critic of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza—has increased.
