Keir Starmer has defiantly pledged to remain as Prime Minister for another eight years, even as a rebellion within the Labour Party intensifies. With dozens of MPs calling for his resignation and potential rivals considering a leadership challenge, Starmer insists he is at the beginning of a '10-year project of renewal'.
Labour in Turmoil After Local Election Setback
The party is fracturing following disastrous local election results, where Reform UK and the Green Party made significant gains in Labour's traditional strongholds. Starmer's attempt to stabilise the situation by bringing back veterans Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman into government was met with ridicule from MPs and ministers.
Make-or-Break Speech Looms
The Prime Minister faces a critical moment tomorrow, when he is expected to deliver a major speech outlining how he can rescue Labour from political oblivion. He is likely to emphasise plans to reverse Brexit, a key demand among many London MPs. However, backbencher Cat West is threatening to launch a 'stalking horse' leadership bid unless the Cabinet acts, and Number 10 fears the anger could secure the 81 nominations needed to trigger a vote.
Even loyal MPs are pessimistic about Starmer's ability to recover, given repeated failed 'reset' attempts. One despairing backbencher told the Daily Mail: 'Lots of people have done an anti-establishment vote and the answer is Gordon, Harriet and one degree closer to the EU. That will really p*** people off in Brexit areas... they are screaming at us and already think we don't listen.'
A former minister added: 'This is going to go down like a cup of cold sick in the Red Wall. He does these speeches and never has anything to say.'
Starmer's Defence: A Decade of Renewal
In an interview with the Mirror, Starmer was asked if he would lead Labour into the next election and serve a full term. He replied: 'Yes I will, and I've always said it's a decade of national renewal, where the legacy we inherited was an appalling legacy on all fronts, not just the economy, which was broken. Public services were broken and actually the situation was worse when we got into office than we thought beforehand. There has to be a 10-year project of renewal. If it's to be done properly, that's how it needs to be done.' When pressed on whether he would fight any challenge, he said: 'I'm not going to walk away from the job I was elected to do in July 2024.'
Cabinet Support Lukewarm, Rayner Silent
So far, the Cabinet has refrained from joining calls for Starmer to go, though some members, including Ed Miliband and Yvette Cooper, have offered notably lukewarm support. Angela Rayner, who is still dealing with HMRC over unpaid stamp duty, has remained silent. She posted pictures on social media of herself swimming and covered in mud at a charity fundraiser. Some senior Labour figures believe her prospects have been damaged by Reform sweeping the local council in her constituency, after she was pictured canvassing in London during the campaign.
Cat West shocked Westminster by declaring her intentions to challenge Starmer last night. A senior government aide told the Daily Mail it was a sign that MPs were 'going wild'. 'It always felt like the most unpredictable element of this weekend - groups of angry backbenchers going wild,' they said.
There are rumours that supporters of Health Secretary Wes Streeting might be behind the move, as it could benefit him if Starmer steps down soon, before Andy Burnham can return to the Commons. However, West denied wanting to thwart Burnham's chances. 'Not at all,' she said. 'I think Andy should be part of the leadership team, and I would expect that any leader will want to appoint Andy, perhaps, to the House of Lords, because you could be a minister in the House of Lords, and he would make a fantastic contribution. Whether he can necessarily be the prime minister from the House of Lords, that would be very unusual.'
West added: 'What I'd really like to see is not a leadership election, but for (the Cabinet) to come together and appoint somebody amongst them who can lead us and give us a vision of how we're going to defeat Nigel Farage and the right wing in the coming general election, which could be as soon as possible.' To trigger a vote, 20 per cent of Labour's 403 MPs—a total of 81—must back a challenge. West acknowledged she has only 10 supporters so far but argued that could increase quickly.
