A tumultuous week in British politics has left Prime Minister Keir Starmer's authority severely diminished, with many Labour MPs now viewing him as an interim leader, even though no formal challenge has been mounted. The housing secretary, Steve Reed, a close ally of Starmer, expressed frustration during a BBC interview on Friday, dismissing talk of moves against the prime minister as meaningless without the necessary 81 nominations to trigger a contest.
The Week That Shook Starmer's Premiership
The week began with Labour suffering heavy losses in local elections across England, Scotland, and Wales. On Saturday, Catherine West, a lesser-known MP, attempted to spark a leadership challenge by emailing colleagues to urge Starmer to step down. This set off three days of what observers have termed a phoney war, as various factions marshalled their forces.
On Monday, a handful of junior frontbenchers, mainly allied to Wes Streeting, resigned from government. By Tuesday, resignations escalated to junior ministers, including Jess Phillips, primarily from Team Streeting. Wednesday saw intense pressure from Downing Street to force Streeting into a formal challenge, with Starmer agreeing to a brief meeting and allies briefing that Streeting lacked sufficient support.
Thursday brought clarity: Streeting released a damning resignation letter calling for a broad leadership contest, effectively admitting he lacked the numbers. In a bizarre twist, Catherine West then indicated she might support Starmer after all. Later, Josh Simons, a 2024-intake MP, stood down to make way for Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, to return to parliament. Downing Street signalled that the party's national executive committee would not block Burnham from contesting a byelection.
The Burnham Factor
Burnham is now seen as the successor apparent, though he must first win a byelection in Makerfield, a constituency where Reform UK is bullish and the Greens are campaigning hard. If Burnham loses, his ambitions would be shattered. Even if he wins, Starmer's allies insist he would contest any challenge and appeal to the Labour membership for stability.
Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary, has seemingly stepped back from a direct challenge, having secured only 40 MPs according to allies. Starmer's supporters view this as a comfort, though the prime minister faces significant constraints, including poor communication skills and low public approval.
Despite these challenges, some signs of boldness have emerged, such as Starmer's condemnation of a far-right march as part of a fight for the soul of the country. Downing Street insists voters are seeing results, pointing to falling NHS waiting lists and better-than-expected economic growth. However, even some cabinet allies accept that Starmer may eventually have to face the end of his premiership.
One cabinet member noted that if Starmer becomes convinced he cannot win the next election, he would ensure an orderly transition. But they added that less than two years after a landslide election victory, he should not be at that point yet.
