How do you oust a Prime Minister? The fates that may await Starmer today
There are two ways Labor can oust Sir Keir Starmer from Downing Street.
An official challenge
According to Labour’s rulebook, if there is no current line-up for the party leadership, potential rivals can submit a nomination.
Those who want to replace Sir Keir must be nominated by 20 per cent of Labor MPs. The party currently has 403 MPs in the House of Commons, so any challenger would need the support of 81 MPs to force a leadership election.
Sir Keir will not need to seek candidacy if he is challenged and wishes to continue the fight; As party leader, his name will automatically be written on the ballot paper.
Those who have been members of the Labor Party for at least six months will be able to vote. Affiliated supporters such as party members and union members will then vote on a ‘one person, one vote’ basis. The candidate who receives more than half of the votes will be declared the winner.
If there are more than two candidates and none of them receives half of the votes, votes will be redistributed according to the preferences stated on the ballot paper. The winner will then visit the King to confirm his position.
A Cabinet revolt
Perhaps a more likely way to remove Sir Keir would be to make it almost impossible for him to continue. The resignation of a large part of the cabinet or a major rise in the parliamentary party might be enough to convince him. This would pave the way for broader competition, rather than requiring competitors to coalesce around a rival.
Boris Johnson suffered a similar fate in 2022 with the resignation of a number of ministers.
There are two ways Sir Keir Starmer could be kicked out of Downing Street by Labor MPs
…and the MPs who want him gone
Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth); David Baines (St Helens North); Paula Barker (Liverpool Wavertree); Apsana Begum (Poplar and Limestone); Clive Betts (Sheffield South East); Olivia Blake (Sheffield Hallam); Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool); Richard Burgon (East Leeds);
Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby); Irene Campbell (North Ayrshire and Arran); Beccy Cooper (Worthing West); Anna Dixon (Shipley); Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole); Barry Gardiner (Brent West); Louise Haigh (Sheffield Heeley); Chris Hinchliff (North East Hertfordshire); Imran Hussain (Bradford East); Terry Jermy (South West Norfolk);
Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside); Ruth Jones (Newport West and Islwyn); Peter Lamb (Crawley); Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington); Brian Leishman (Alloa and Grangemouth); Clive Lewis (South Norwich); Rachael Maskell (York Central); Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East);
John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington); Anneliese Midgley (Knowsley); Abtisam Mohamed (Sheffield Central); Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich); Simon Opher (Stroud); Sarah Owen (Luton North); Kate Osborne (Jarrow and Gateshead East); Euan Stainbank (Falkirk); Josh Simons (Makerfield);
Graham Stringer (Blackley and Middleton South); Jon Trickett (Normanton and Hemsworth); Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe); Catherine West (Hornsey and Friern Barnet); Nadia Whittome (East Nottingham); Cat Eccles (Stourbridge).
