Westminster is gripped by speculation as rumours swirl of a potential plot to oust Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting reportedly at the centre of the leadership challenge.
The political firestorm was ignited on Tuesday 12th November 2025, when The Guardian reported that someone inside Number 10 was briefing that a plan was being set up to protect Starmer from the threat. This has thrown the Labour leader's future into question and sparked intense debate over who could potentially succeed him.
Who are the frontrunners to replace Keir Starmer?
Wes Streeting, the current Health Secretary, is the bookies' favourite to take the top job. The MP for Ilford North has a compelling backstory, having grown up on a council estate and been the first in his family to attend university. His political rise under Starmer saw him appointed Shadow Exchequer Secretary and Shadow Minister for Schools before landing the crucial health portfolio in July 2024.
Most recently, he secured £1 billion to fund 18,000 redundancies within the NHS. The plot thickened when a website with the address 'Wes.For.Leader.com' was registered, though sources close to the minister insist it has 'nothing to do with anyone around Wes'.
Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, is another name high on critics' lists. The MP for Birmingham Ladywood has a long history in the Shadow Cabinet, serving under Ed Miliband and later returning to frontbench politics in 2021. Starmer appointed her as Shadow Justice Secretary in 2023, before making her Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor in 2025. In a September reshuffle, she took the reins at the Home Office, where she has been heavily involved in crackdowns on the right to protest.
Angela Rayner, who recently resigned as Deputy Prime Minister, Housing Secretary, and Deputy Labour Party leader after an incorrect stamp duty payment, remains a powerful figure. The MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, who served as Shadow Education Secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, is now seen as a potential kingmaker, wielding significant influence over any future leadership contest even if she does not run herself.
The outside contenders and the rules of a challenge
Ed Miliband, the current Energy Secretary and former Labour leader from 2010 to 2015, is considered an unlikely solo challenger. However, political insiders suggest he could lend his considerable experience and support to another candidate's campaign, making him a pivotal figure behind the scenes.
Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is the public's second favourite to replace Starmer, trailing only Wes Streeting. Despite calls from within the party for him to push Starmer aside, a significant hurdle stands in his way: to challenge for the Labour leadership, a candidate must be a sitting MP. Burnham relinquished his parliamentary status for his current role and has repeatedly denied any intention of returning to Westminster.
The public mood appears to be shifting, with Starmer's approval rating hitting an all-time low. A poll from early November 2025 found that 73% of people believed Starmer was doing 'badly' as Prime Minister.
Could a leadership challenge actually happen?
Under Labour Party rules, a leadership challenge can be triggered if 20% of the party's MPs—amounting to 81 members of the Commons—nominate a new challenger. This could, in theory, happen at any time.
Aside from resignation, the only other way for a Prime Minister to be removed is through a vote of no confidence called by the opposition leader. All eyes are now on the local elections in England and the devolved elections in Scotland and Wales set for May next year. A poor performance for Labour could be the catalyst that finally sees Starmer's leadership come to an end.
