Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is preparing to launch a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, provided he can secure the backing of enough Labour MPs to trigger a formal contest. This move has ignited a frantic scramble on the left of the party to identify a candidate capable of opposing him, with Ed Miliband and Angela Rayner emerging as potential contenders.
Streeting's Calculated Move
Streeting, widely regarded as belonging to the Blairite right of the Labour Party, has been orchestrating an attempt to oust Starmer for several days following the party's disastrous election results. Despite his associates insisting he was reluctant to make the first move, the health secretary has now decided to force a race. He is said to be working on gathering the necessary 81 signatures from MPs to support his bid for the leadership.
One source close to Streeting remarked, "No one has the numbers till the bell is struck, even canvassing isn't real. People need certainty before they write their name down. But he thinks he's got the numbers." Another MP close to the Streeting camp confirmed that discussions about securing the requisite numbers were underway, and that they had begun ringing round MPs. Two other MPs reported receiving calls from Streeting's allies on Tuesday evening, informing them that "he's going for it." Streeting has also been directly contacting MPs, including some supporters of other candidates who were surprised to receive his call.
Left Wing Scramble for a Candidate
On the soft left of the party, Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, is considered the favoured replacement for Starmer. However, Burnham does not yet have a seat in Parliament, despite efforts to persuade several MPs to stand down for him. His latest hopes are pinned on Afzal Khan or Jeff Smith, both Manchester MPs. Khan has stated he is focusing on his job, but some of his friends believe he is preparing to step aside. If he does, it would be difficult for Burnham to contest a by-election and enter Parliament in time for any leadership contest triggered this week. Nonetheless, there could be immense pressure on Labour's ruling body to delay any contest to allow Burnham to run.
Allies of Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, believe he also has the required backing among MPs, while Angela Rayner could launch her own bid, although sources indicate she is not yet fully committed to being the left's candidate. The left is acutely aware that stopping Streeting is a top priority. One MP allied with Burnham stated, "MPs won't take the chance that Starmer could win. The soft left will not allow that. There will be a candidate. The idea of Wes losing to Starmer is absolute madness." Another MP warned, "Wes could end up like Owen Smith. That is absolutely the end of your political career."
Starmer's Defensive Efforts
With Labour on the brink of civil war, Keir Starmer has been calling ministers and MPs into his office in Parliament, pleading with them not to allow a competition to be triggered. He told MPs that "we can't let a leadership contest plunge us into chaos" and that a "challenge would 100% do that." His cabinet allies, including Rachel Reeves, have been urging MPs in the tea rooms of the House of Commons to consider that a leadership election would paralyse the government's ability to function effectively.
Downing Street has insisted that Starmer will fight any challenge from Streeting and other candidates, having just set out a programme for government in the king's speech that includes 30 new bills. However, Starmer supporters have hinted that Downing Street may increasingly come round to the idea of dropping opposition to Burnham becoming an MP later in the parliament. One cabinet minister supporter of Starmer said, "If you get to the point, closer to the election, where he can't win the election but somebody else could ... if he reaches a point that he's clear in his own mind that it can't be done, then he'd make sure there was an orderly transition. But he's not there yet."
Mixed Reactions and Potential Candidates
Some of Streeting's opponents remain sceptical that he has the numbers, given that many who have called for Starmer to go are from the left of the party. Streeting had a brief 16-minute coffee meeting with Starmer on Wednesday, with neither side revealing what was discussed. While Streeting could gain support from more resigning ministers on Thursday, some MPs were furious at what they saw as him destabilising the party when it was meant to be presenting its programme for government. One MP supporting Starmer said, "Colleagues are very, very, very angry with Wes."
Earlier on Wednesday, Zubir Ahmed, a close ally of Streeting who resigned as a minister on Tuesday, renewed calls for the prime minister to resign, stating that his authority had "irretrievably ebbed away." If Starmer decides to run against Streeting and an alternative candidate from the left, the prime minister would have a major advantage due to Labour's preferential voting system. MPs are deeply concerned that because Starmer would likely collect most second preferences, in a three-way contest he could even come second and still remain leader and prime minister.
There could also be a number of wildcard candidates from the cabinet and other MPs, including Lucy Powell, Bridget Phillipson, Yvette Cooper, and Al Carns. With Burnham out of the immediate race, his allies in Parliament have begun casting around for alternative plans. The coming days will be critical as Labour faces the prospect of a leadership contest that could further deepen internal divisions.
