Sir Keir Starmer is considering whether to resign, Business Secretary Peter Kyle has said, as pressure mounts on the Prime Minister following Andy Burnham's by-election victory in Makerfield. Kyle told Sky News that Starmer is "reflecting on the political realities, challenges, and opportunities that he finds himself in."
Kyle's Comments Fuel Speculation
Kyle's remarks come amid reports that Starmer could make a resignation statement as early as Monday, laying out a timetable for his departure. Downing Street has insisted the Prime Minister will fight any leadership contest, but Kyle declined to repeat this line, telling the BBC: "These are decisions for Keir to make." He added that there is a "process underway" with people challenging the PM.
According to the Telegraph and the Observer, Starmer has accepted he no longer has the support of enough MPs to remain in office. Over 100 Labour MPs, roughly a quarter of the party's parliamentary representation, are now calling for him to step down. This includes some who signed a letter warning against a leadership contest just last month.
Cabinet Ministers Urge Departure
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander have reportedly already told Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure. Labour grandees, including former home secretary Alan Johnson and Lord Falconer, have also spoken out, with Falconer saying Starmer has "no authority" because it is assumed he will be replaced.
A senior ally told the Sun they believe there is "just a 25 per cent chance he fights on now." A Starmer loyalist told the Telegraph they expect him to announce his departure as early as Monday, as support among his own MPs has dwindled to a small number of "friends and family."
Burnham's Camp Prepares for Transition
Andy Burnham, who won the Makerfield by-election on Thursday, is expected to be in Westminster on Monday to be sworn into the Commons. He reportedly plans to speak to Starmer afterwards and present him with a list of backers, which he is seeking to get up to 200, in a bid to press him to step down and set out a transition.
Some in Westminster believe a contest could begin as early as next week, but allies of Burnham favour a longer wait to allow them to prepare for government. It is understood that Burnham's camp wants Starmer to set out his plans in the coming days but would accept a timetable that kept him in No10 for a few weeks, or possibly until September.
Starmer Warns Against Chaos
During a call with Labour staffers on Friday lunchtime, Starmer warned against "plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement." He is understood to have spoken to a number of Cabinet ministers on Friday and is at Chequers with his wife, Lady Victoria, this weekend, reflecting on how to proceed.
Former deputy leader Baroness Harriet Harman, whom Starmer appointed as a special envoy for women and girls, said there is a "sense of collective movement" from within Labour and that she expected Starmer to leave office and for Burnham to take his place. She has urged the party to move faster than aiming for a timetable ending in September, telling Sky News's Electoral Dysfunction podcast that ministers could not be left "in a state of paralysis all through the summer."
