How could Labour MPs trigger a leadership contest? The threshold Streeting must meet
The future of the Labor Party leadership has been thrown deeper into doubt after Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary and it was confirmed that Manchester mayor Andy Burnham plans to return to Westminster.
On Thursday Makerfield MP Josh Simons said he was prepared to give up his seat to give Mr Burnham the chance to win the by-election, return to parliament and challenge prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Following defeat in last week’s local elections, he said Labor “owed a debt to people coming together again”.
It came just hours after Mr Streeting sent a scathing resignation letter to Sir Keir, saying: “Where we need vision there is emptiness. Where we need direction we are adrift.”
These developments follow days of growing questions about the prime minister’s position and the prospect of a leadership challenge following last week’s dismal local election results.
So how can a leadership contest be triggered, what does it look like, and who can survive? Here’s what we know about the road ahead for Sir Keir and potential rivals.
Will the Labor Party leadership contest be triggered?
That will depend on whether they, or another leadership hopeful within the parliamentary party, can secure the support of the 81 Labor MPs needed to challenge Mr Streeting. It was unclear Thursday whether he had met that threshold, and his resignation letter appeared to imply he would not immediately launch a contest.
Who else can participate in the competition and when?
In the letter, Mr Streeting suggested it was obvious for Mr Burnham to take part in the race, saying any contest should be “broad” – but some interpreted this as a sign that the former minister did not have the numbers to mount the challenge.
Further adding to the uncertainty is the various logistical hurdles that Mr Burnham, who is seen as the party favorite to replace Sir Keir, must overcome before entering any race.
The path back to Westminster is complicated by the need to fight and win the by-election first.
Makerfield MP Josh Simons announced on Thursday evening that he would be leaving parliament to make way for Mr Burnham.
But the Greater Manchester mayor still needs permission from Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) to contest the by-election and will face a tough fight in a seat where Labor’s majority in 2024 is just 5,399 and where Reform UK won every ward in last week’s local election.
Speculation has also intensified that Sir Keir’s former aide Angela Rayner could throw her hat in the ring after she said she had been cleared of tax fraud in an HMRC investigation that had previously dashed her hopes.
He has denied striking a deal with Mr Burnham that would see him as his successor and indicated he could take part in any future contests, telling ITV on Thursday: “I’m not making deals.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir insisted on Monday he would fight any challenge to his leadership; This is a view Downing Street repeated on Thursday.
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns and Energy Minister Ed Miliband have also been suggested as potential candidates.
How will the Labor Party leadership contest work?
Once a leadership hopeful has named 81 supporters in the House of Commons, the candidates are put to a vote by party members who rank them in order of preference.
If a contestant receives more than 50 per cent of first preferences, they are declared the winner, usually through a process of elimination during the voting rounds whose timetable is determined by Labour’s ruling NEC.
Can Sir Keir stay in power?
This largely depends on the actions of his cabinet.
Sir Keir delved into the matter on Tuesday amid growing calls from Labor MPs for his resignation, telling his senior ministers that there was a formal process to challenge a Labor leader and that it had not been triggered.
That’s true, but it would be nearly impossible for him to continue governing the country without the trust of his cabinet.
As Boris Johnson’s authority collapses in 2022, he tries to cling to power by replacing senior ministers with loyal MPs after resigning. But within days of the first cabinet minister’s resignation he was forced to announce his resignation as Conservative Party leader in front of No 10.
