Who could replace Starmer as prime minister? Here are the top contenders for a Labour leadership battle
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has resigned from the cabinet and is expected to force Labor’s leadership contest as Sir Keir Starmer struggles to save his increasingly threatened premiership.
Independent It was first revealed on Monday that Mr Streeting was expected to launch a leadership bid and that his supporters had led the way in calling for the prime minister to resign following a series of negative local election results.
The Prime Minister said he took responsibility for the results, which saw Labor lose almost 1,500 councilor seats, but insisted he would not walk away.
The election was widely touted as doomsday for Sir Keir, and he was hit by Nigel Farage’s UK Reform-grabbing councils, some of which have been held by Labor in northern England for generations; Zack Polanski’s Green Party has alienated voters in its old city strongholds, including taking control of some officials in London.
On Monday Sir Keir delivered a make-or-break speech in a bid to avert any leadership challenge and reassert his authority, but this was followed by dozens of Labor MPs calling on him to stand down or offer a timetable to ensure an orderly transition of power.
Cabinet ministers also encouraged Sir Keir to consider his position, opening a window for some rumored Labor leadership candidates – some of whom are said to have been planning their fight for months – to finally go on strike.
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, is widely regarded as the most popular candidate and allies say he has a credible plan to return as an MP, a prerequisite for the top job.
Sir Keir’s former aide Angela Rayner is also among the frontrunners, and Mr Streeting also confirmed his resignation from the cabinet at lunchtime on Thursday, saying it was “clear” Sir Keir would not lead Labor at the next general election, adding “there is a gap where we need vision”.
It comes after the former deputy prime minister revealed he had been cleared of intentional wrongdoing in an investigation into his tax affairs, which could pave the way for him to make a potential leadership bid.
Here, Independent As we take a look at each of the potential leadership candidates, readers can share their thoughts:
Andy Burnham
The mayor of Greater Manchester, who is popular with Labor MPs, party members and the public, has been hinting at a leadership bid for months.
The latest YouGov poll shows Mr Burnham, who was MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017, well ahead of other Labor figures in popularity polls; 34 per cent of Britons think he will do a better job than Sir Keir.
Last year, Mr Burnham repeatedly failed to reject a leadership bid and was regularly put forward as the leading candidate to take over if Sir Keir’s position as prime minister became untenable.
He was the focus of such rumors last September when he announced at a Labor Party conference that dozens of MPs had privately called on him to challenge the prime minister.
Since he is not yet a member of parliament, he cannot make an official proposal. But Josh Simon’s decision to stand down as Makerfield MP opens the door for Mr Burnham to run for the Westminster seat, although he faces an uphill battle to see through the Reformation threat.
Tensions came to a head earlier this year when Mr Burnham stood for Labor in the historically safe Greater Manchester parliamentary seat of Gorton and Denton but was blocked by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
Critics have accused Sir Keir and his allies of blocking the candidacy for factional reasons and fear of a leadership fight, although the government insists the move is based on the potential cost of a later mayoral election.
But questions remain about whether he will be able to return to parliament in time for the leadership election.
Angela Rayner
Rumors about the Ashton-under-Lyne MP’s ambitions have been circulating since the moment he resigned from Sir Keir’s cabinet last September after it was revealed he had underpaid stamp duty on his Brighton flat, but he has now been cleared of wrongdoing, paving the way for a potential run for the party leadership.
Rayner, once the prime minister’s number two, is popular with the party’s soft left and is considered one of the MPs most likely to stage a coup.
He intervened on Sunday by issuing a statement in support of Mr Burnham, telling the prime minister it was a mistake to block the mayor’s bid to stand in Gorton and Denton.
In a stern warning to Sir Keir, he added: “Labor is there to make working people better off. This is not happening fast enough and it needs to change now.”
In an interview with Guard On Thursday, he did not rule out entering any Labor leadership contest but said he would not “trigger” a contest.
Wes Street
The health minister announced his resignation at lunchtime on Thursday, which was expected to begin the process of finding a new Labor leader.
In his statement announcing his departure from the cabinet, he said it was “now clear” that Sir Keir would not lead the party at the next general election.
He added: “Labor MPs and Trade Unions want the debate about what happens next to be a battle of ideas, not personalities or petty factionalism. It needs to be broad and it needs the best field of candidates possible. I support this approach and hope you will facilitate it.”
Mr Streeting is understood to have the support of enough Labor MPs to launch his leadership bid by recruiting more than 81, the minimum number needed to trigger a leadership election.
Sir Keir was reportedly warned of Mr Streeting’s intentions after he mistakenly texted a Downing Street staffer details of his bid, including the “five pillars” of his campaign and his “PFG”, which stands for government plan.
A charismatic cabinet minister who is on the centre-right of the party and can connect with the public.
Towards the end of last year, talk of a possible leadership bid grew louder, amid a briefing war targeting the health secretary over his perceived ambition to replace Sir Keir.
He has previously expressed concern about the direction of the government and said there was a “toxic culture” at No 10 when briefings against him were made public in November.
Earlier this year, as questions about Sir Keir’s future reached fever pitch, the health secretary took the controversial decision to publish correspondence between himself and Lord Mandelson that contained serious criticism of the Prime Minister’s economic and Middle East policies.
The publication breached collective responsibility and would normally lead to dismissal, but Mr Streeting justified it by saying it was necessary to deal with “smears” made about his relationship with his disgraced former Labor colleague.
The main obstacle facing Mr Streeting is the perception among some Labor factions that he is too far to the right of the party and the general feeling that he does not have enough support to launch a successful bid.
Public popularity ratings are also low; Only 13 per cent of voters think he will do a better job than Sir Keir.
Ed Miliband
More than 10 years after he defeated the party in the 2015 general election, Ed Miliband has emerged as an unlikely candidate for the chancellorship.
But during his time away from the leadership, the energy minister has carved out a niche as the party’s chief advocate for green energy and net zero.
Speculation has been rife that Mr Miliband, who is surprisingly popular with young people, is attempting a comeback as leader, with suggestions he could run from the party’s soft left.
The recent Mandelson scandal left him increasingly critical of the government, telling broadcasters he had raised concerns about his appointment with David Lammy at the time.
A Miliband supporter told Independent recently: “He has energy and enthusiasm. He is loved by the younger members of the party. He is a new man since the last time he was leader.”
The energy minister’s supporters say he too has the numbers to launch a bid, but polls show only 13 percent of voters think he would do a better job than the current prime minister.
