UK PM Starmer fights for job as calls for ouster grow
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting for his job after Labour’s devastating local election results prompted dozens of MPs to call for resignation.
Starmer plans to give a speech on Monday to argue that he can turn the tide and revive his government’s fortunes.
But his position remains fragile as rivals weigh their options.
Labor MP Catherine West said she would try to launch a leadership contest if she didn’t like what she heard in the speech.
Former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, often seen as a potential rival, did not publicly call for Starmer to leave but said the party “needs to change”.
“The Prime Minister now needs to seize the moment and bring about the change our country needs,” he said.
We need urgent action to reduce costs for households and get money back into the everyday economy. This can be done within existing fiscal rules by ensuring that those who benefit from the crisis contribute more so that everyone can prosper. Our Employment Rights Act is just that…— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) May 10, 2026
Starmer is trying to gain momentum after Labor suffered heavy losses in local elections in England and legislative votes in Scotland and Wales.
Last week’s election was widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he came to power in a landslide less than two years ago.
His government has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair outdated public services and ease living costs, and has been hobbled by repeated missteps and policy U-turns on issues including welfare reform.
He was further hurt by the disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, Jeffrey Epstein’s scandal-tainted friend, as the United Kingdom’s ambassador to the United States.
In last week’s election, Labor lost votes to both the populist anti-immigration Reform England and the “eco-populist” Green party.
This reflects the increasing fragmentation of UK politics, long dominated by Labor and the Conservatives.
Starmer nevertheless told The Observer newspaper on Sunday that he wanted to remain in office for a decade.
He pinned his hopes on Monday’s speech and King George III’s comments. He attributes this to the ambitious legislative plans to be put forward in Charles’ speech at the state opening of parliament on Wednesday.
None of the high-profile Labor politicians, including Rayner, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, viewed Starmer as a potential rival and called for Starmer to resign.
But a growing number of Labor MPs have called on the prime minister to set a timetable for his departure.
British politics allows parties to change leaders in the medium term without the need for a new election.
Former stalwart Labor MP Josh Simons wrote in the Times of London that Starmer had “lost the country” and “must get the situation under control by overseeing an orderly transition to a new prime minister”.
West, a former minister, is trying to speed up the process by promising to try to trigger a leadership contest unless Starmer delivers a barnstorming speech on Monday.
West acknowledged that he did not have the support of the 81 colleagues needed to force a contest and his move appeared to be an attempt to force higher-profile contestants to make the move.
“Working people sent us a message,” West said.
“We need to listen, we need to change, and we need to do it quickly.”
