Sir Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to resign after Labour suffered catastrophic losses in the local elections, losing nearly 1,200 seats and 36 councils. A Labour backbencher has issued an ultimatum to the Prime Minister, threatening to trigger a leadership challenge if cabinet ministers fail to act.
West's Ultimatum
Catherine West, the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a former junior minister, said she will launch a leadership bid on Monday if no cabinet minister challenges Starmer. West, who was sacked as a junior Foreign Office minister in September, told the New Statesman that waiting six months for a change is "too late." She said she would prefer a new Prime Minister to emerge from a cabinet reshuffle but is putting herself forward to force action.
On Saturday night, West claimed to have support from around 10 Labour MPs, far short of the 81 needed to trigger a contest. However, she suggested she might pull back if Starmer's reset speech on Monday convinces her. "I will hear what the Prime Minister's got to say tomorrow and, then if I'm still dissatisfied, I will put out my email to the Parliamentary Labour Party, asking for names," she told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
Cabinet Loyalty and Dissent
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defended Starmer, calling West "completely wrong" to challenge him. She acknowledged the pain of the election defeat, saying, "Friday morning, I felt absolutely sick to the bottom of my stomach about the scale of the defeat that we'd suffered. We got a real kicking from the voters."
Several Labour MPs, including Josh Simmons, Clive Betts, Debbie Abrahams, and Richard Burgeon, have publicly called for Starmer to resign. Reports suggest former leader Ed Miliband and Health Secretary Wes Streeting are being urged by their camps to challenge Starmer. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is said to have support but would need to become an MP via a by-election first. Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is understood to lack the necessary support.
Starmer's Defiance
Starmer has vowed to fight any challenger, telling the Observer he sees his government as a "10-year project of renewal." He has refused to step down despite the electoral disaster, which saw Reform UK storm through Labour heartlands, taking over 1,300 seats and 14 councils. Leader Nigel Farage hailed a "historic shift" in British politics.
The internal rebellion underscores deep divisions within Labour as Starmer struggles to maintain his leadership. With West's ultimatum looming, the coming days will be critical for the Prime Minister's political survival.
