UK PM facing potential leadership challenge amid pressure to resign

[Bronco 25,841]

Following multiple elections last week on May 7th, which saw UK Primeminister Kier Starmer's Labour party lose thousands of local council seats in English councils alongside facing a historic wipe out in the Welsh Senedd elections and failure in the Scottish parliament elections, the PM is now facing a serious threat to his continued leadership of the Labour Party and as a result his job. 

So far 95 Labour MPs have publicly called for Starmer to either resign immediately or set a departure timetable insisting he cannot lead the party into another election. This includes a number of Parliamentary Private Secretaries (the lowest rank of government role), Junior Ministers and as of this afternoon the Health Secretary has joined this group. The now former Health Secretary is widely seen as wanting to challenge Kier Starmer for the leadership. 

All of the Labour backing Unions (who have siginifcant say in the Labour party and are its main funders) have told Starmer to set a timeline for departure.

Allegedly, 111 Labour MPs have signed an opposing letter supporting Starmer's continue leadership. But this has not been made public. 

Currently, Labour MPs wanting Starmer to go are trying to force him to resign and as a result create a leadership election (instead of a direct challenge). Starmer so far is refusing to resign.

What happens now?
For any Labour MP to actually challenge Kier Starmer and trigger a leadership contest within the Labour party, they need 81 MPs to back them specifically to initiate the contest. Kier Starmer as incumbent will automatically be on a leadership contest ballot if he chooses to fight it. Currently, no Labour MP has triggered the leadership contest and Starmer has said if they do he will fight it. 

Current potential leadership challengers: 
Main contenders:

-Wes Streeting, former Health Secretary. Resigned today (14th May) and has called on the PM to set a timetable for his departure to allow for a leadership election that will allow for a "broad" contest and conclude ahead of the party's annual conference in September. - Widely speculated he doesn't have enough backers to hit the 81 MPs needed to trigger a direct challenge. - see today's blistering resignation letter here 
https://x.com/wesstreeting/status/2054894239817830429?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed|twterm^2054894239817830429|twgr^126b51dff289b28aa02d07349b9bd6e1bc5a47ff|twcon^s1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.sky.com%2Fstory%2Fstarmer-latest-burnham-streeting-rayner-leadership-quit-cabinet-resign-kings-speech-local-elections-12593360

-Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester. A former MP, he's widely been seen as having been building a shadow leadership campaign since last September and has tried to rejoin Parliament but was blocked by Starmer's faction in the Labour Party. To be eligible to run for the leadership, Burnham will need to win a by-election and return to Westminster. Widely believed to have the 81 or more backers needed, but its unclear yet whether he can find a winnable seat and return to Parliament without Team Starmer blocking him from standing again. 

Unconfirmed contenders:

-Angela Rayner. Former Deputy Leader & Deputy PM. Stood down due to a probe into unpaid tax, which as of Tuesday she has been cleared of wrong doing in. Has endorsed Burnham's attempt to return to Parliament and supports the call for Starmer to resign. Once expected to be a leadership candidate, sources suggest her support has fallen away and she won't unless Burnham is blocked. 
-Ed Miliband. Currently a Cabinet Minister and a former Labour Leader (lost the 2015 general election). Leading figure of the "Tribune" faction of Soft Left Labour MPs, and rumours suggest will only run if Burnham gets blocked and Streeting is able to force a snap Leadership contest in an attempt to block Streeting winning. Otherwise, not interested. 
-Al Carns. Potential dark horse/outsider candidate. Ex-Army. Elected to parliament for the first time in 2024. Has allegedly told journalists he won't force a leadership contest, but will stand if one is forced/Starmer resigns. Unclear how large his support base is within the parliamentary labour party (PLP). 

 

 

[Gabe 2,619]

I feel like the UK hasn't had any stability regardless of party for a PM (like full term) in like over a decade?? Insane. 

Edited May 14 by Gabe

[Bronco 25,841]

7 minutes ago, Gabe said:

I feel like the UK hasn't had any stability regardless of party for a PM (like full term) in like over a decade?? Insane. 

5 PMs in 7 years lol Last "full term PM" was David Cameron as head of the coalition from 2010-2015. 

Since then it's been
Cameron 2015-2016 - Resigned due to Brexit
May 2016-2019 - Forced out by Johnson
Johnson 2019-2022 - Forced out by his party
Truss 2022 (Sept to October) - Forced to resign after crashing the markets
Sunak 2022-2024 - Lost the 2024 election
Starmer 2024-?
We've become ungovernable because of political polarisation and an electoral system not built to work with it. 

[Lucas 31,222]

What are the political views of the main contenders? That's what I'm worried about 

[Bronco 25,841]

7 minutes ago, Lucas said:

What are the political views of the main contenders? That's what I'm worried about 

Streeting is on the right of the Labour Party - so neo-lib centrist. Think Clinton Democrats. 
Burnham has been everything to everyone but is currently a Northern Populist - so soft left. 
Miliband is soft left so think AOC.
Rayner is soft left. 
Carns is a relatively unknown candidate. Been in parliament for 5 minutes. No clear factional affiliation. Some links to Blue Labour which are socially conservative with soft left economics.  

[nATAH 57,271]

[Bronco 25,841]

15 minutes ago, nATAH said:

Its the fact this has dominated the government for nearly a week

And may amount to nothing.

[nATAH 57,271]

1 hour ago, Bronco said:

Its the fact this has dominated the government for nearly a week

And may amount to nothing.

every day I wake up and its always a reactionary headline like "KIER STARMER TO SKIN CHILDREN LIVE ON AIR" like im so tireedddddd

[Bronco 25,841]

And an MP has stood down, this will trigger a by-election (at some point) which Andy Burnham is intending to run.

Now it all depends on 3 things. The Labour Party NEC allowing Burnham to run. The by-election being scheduled quickly. And ultimately Burnham winning the by-election.

[Ziggy 14,087]

This has taken *months* good lord

[Economy 52,895]

3 hours ago, Gabe said:

I feel like the UK hasn't had any stability regardless of party for a PM (like full term) in like over a decade?? Insane. 

My thought exactly. Feels like the leader keeps changing last several years

 

[Hydrangea 7,942]

Im Not a fan of Starmer at all or what Labour has become, I’ve fully swapped to Green. But after 14 years of being bent over and bled dry by tories people seem to have expected Labour to fix everything immediately which is just not a possible task for anyone 

[Bronco 25,841]

19 minutes ago, Hydrangea said:

Im Not a fan of Starmer at all or what Labour has become, I’ve fully swapped to Green. But after 14 years of being bent over and bled dry by tories people seem to have expected Labour to fix everything immediately which is just not a possible task for anyone 

Similar boat to you and I largely agree.

But the issue is that Starmer run and won on a change platform and in 2 years has just committed to more targeted and crueler austerity than the Tories ever felt brave enough to do. He was doomed the day he signed off on the winter fuel cut.

[Hydrangea 7,942]

2 hours ago, Bronco said:

Similar boat to you and I largely agree.

But the issue is that Starmer run and won on a change platform and in 2 years has just committed to more targeted and crueler austerity than the Tories ever felt brave enough to do. He was doomed the day he signed off on the winter fuel cut.

Oh he has absolutely betrayed everything Labour is supposed to stand for and and I would have some SOME sympathy if they even tried to fix anything but all they’ve done is dug their own graves and seem to have killed two party politics at the same time 

[gagzus 23,416]

I think it’s safe to say we’re not gonna (sadly) get a liberal/left government again before the 2030s. The entirety of the 2020s has just been full of surface level left wing politicians who’ve made bad decision after bad decision. 
 

Our candidates for prime minister are pretty much 2 extreme right politicians (one who’s lazy and another who hasn’t got a single view on anything BUT immigration), a woman who hates queer people and nobody wants to speak ip against her because she’s black and a woman and people are scared of not looking PC and then the person I think is the best candidate but has no chance of winning because all the media has been basically hit pieces against him.

British politics have also become too Americanised as well. Like I saw a UK culture writer legit call the local council elections mid terms the other day  

Edited May 14 by gagzus