Keir Starmer is fighting for his political life as rumors swirl that he will face a leadership challenge. The Prime Minister warned during a 'reset' speech this morning that replacing him would plunge the country into chaos. Dozens of Labour MPs have been urging Sir Keir to step down or set a timetable for leaving office. However, no major figure has come forward to declare their candidacy, and one fringe contender has stepped back from the brink. The root cause of the uncertainty is the absence of a clear heir apparent, but rather a cluster of rivals who could battle to replace the PM. This analysis examines who the future Prime Ministers could be and what is stopping them from running.
Andy Burnham
Dubbed the 'King of the North,' the Mayor of Greater Manchester is popular among Labour MPs and party members. Polling data from April 2026 shows he is the only major Labour politician with a positive net favourability rating, currently at +9. He has repeatedly failed to rule out ambitions to reach Number 10 and revealed last September that dozens of MPs were privately urging him to stand. However, Burnham is not an MP and therefore unable to run in a Labour leadership contest. The Manchester mayor attempted to stand as a candidate in the Gorton and Denton by-election earlier this year, but Labour's Starmer-friendly national executive committee blocked him. Burnham appears to be a key reason why some Labour MPs are holding back from toppling Sir Keir. His allies need to buy him time to find an open seat in Parliament, hoping that Starmer's weakness will prevent them from stopping his return. However, the Prime Minister's supporters still believe they can block their biggest threat. Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle suggested this morning that it was 'not the time' for Burnham to come back.
Angela Rayner
The former Deputy Prime Minister has been closely watched by the media since she resigned from Sir Keir's cabinet last September when it was revealed she had underpaid stamp duty on her Brighton flat. Her achievements in government, notably the Employment Rights Act and the Renters' Rights Act, have made her popular among left-wing factions in the Labour Party. She is also the only Labour figure besides Burnham with positive ratings among the party's own 2024 voters, at 48% favourable against 33% unfavourable. However, her net rating stands at -31 among the general public. She is now the centre of an HMRC investigation into her stamp duty affairs, and it is thought she will have to wait until that concludes before launching a challenge. Rayner has come out firing since the party's local election drubbing, saying the party 'needs to change' and it 'may be our last chance.' However, she appears to have rowed in behind Burnham, saying he 'should never have been blocked' from seeking a Commons seat, fueling speculation of a pact after reports that the pair met in April.
Wes Streeting
The articulate health secretary is considered the most likely challenger from within the Cabinet. Reports suggest he has garnered enough backing from Labour MPs to launch a leadership bid. He is popular among centre-right members who believe he can connect with the public. Speculation about his leadership hopes reached fever pitch when a briefing war erupted in the heart of government in November last year. Reports circulated that Streeting was plotting to challenge the PM and that Sir Keir was prepared to fight. The health secretary appeared emboldened by the row and shut down the rumours on live TV, leaving some to blame Number 10's chief advisor Morgan McSweeney for the chaos. However, his popularity ratings are also low among the public, and many MPs feel he is too far to the right. There is also the problem of his seat of Ilford North, which he won with a razor-thin majority of 528 over a pro-Palestine candidate. There are also fears he is politically linked with Peter Mandelson, and Streeting has admitted he 'absolutely' questioned his judgment on the issue. Streeting has consistently denied plotting to be leader.
Ed Miliband
It would usually be untenable for a former leader who lost an election to make a comeback to the top job. But reports indicate that numerous MPs from the Labour left are urging him to step forward. The energy secretary is the most popular cabinet member among the Labour membership, polls suggest. His green energy agenda could offer voters a unique platform to combat the Green surge. However, the general feeling is that Miliband does not want to wear the crown. Allies told The Times that his aim is to be kingmaker to a Burnham leadership bid – and to be rewarded with the chancellorship in return. There are also fears he would lack credibility, given that the public rejected Labour when he was leader at the 2015 general election.
Catherine West
The veteran backbencher – who once nominated Jeremy Corbyn for leader – burst into the Labour leadership race when she announced she would stand against Sir Keir on Monday if no other Cabinet member did. The Hornsey and Friern Barnet MP said she would decide whether to challenge Starmer after watching his speech on Monday morning. An hour after Sir Keir took to the stage, West described his speech as 'too little too late.' However, she rowed back on challenging the Prime Minister herself. Instead, she sent an email to all her colleagues, collecting supporters for the Labour leader to set a timetable for the election of a new leader.
