Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure over his political future following a major election setback in the UK
The UK prime minister is set to give a speech in a bid to convince the public of his leadership
Keir Starmer is struggling to maintain his political position amid growing demands from lawmakers for him to resign after the Labor Party suffered a devastating defeat in local elections.
Labor backbencher Catherine West called on senior party figures to “act swiftly” to replace Starmer, stating that she intended to contact fellow MPs on Monday morning to gather support if no alternative candidate emerged.
More than 30 Labor MPs have either demanded Starmer’s resignation or urged him to provide a timetable for stepping down. Among them was his former ally Josh Simons, who wrote in The Times that Starmer had “lost the country”.
The recent elections proved disastrous for Labour, with the party losing nearly 1,500 council seats in England, mainly to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and the Green Party. In Wales, First Minister Eluned Morgan lost her seat, bringing an end to Labour’s 27-year rule there. In Scotland, the Scottish National Party maintained its dominance, while Labor finished in second place.
Despite the backlash, some senior figures continue to back the prime minister. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News that she did not believe a leadership battle and the turmoil it could create would solve the party’s problems.
Starmer is expected to deliver a speech on Monday, followed by the king’s speech on Wednesday, in an effort to reassure both the public and his party about his leadership. According to Reuters, he is likely to say that his administration will be “defined by rebuilding our relationship and by putting Britain at the heart of Europe”.
Writing in The Guardian on Friday, Starmer accepted responsibility for Labor's poor performance, admitting that the party had “not sustained the public’s trust that we are doing enough” to bring about meaningful change. However, he stressed that responding to voters’ frustration “doesn’t mean tacking right or left”.
In what is widely viewed as an attempt to strengthen support within the party, Starmer appointed former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former deputy Labor leader Harriet Harman to key government roles on Saturday.
A Labor leadership challenge would require the backing of 81 MPs. Possible contenders to replace Starmer include Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Starmer’s government came to power in 2024 after ending 14 years of Conservative rule with a landslide election victory. Since then, however, his approval ratings have declined sharply, with criticism over cuts to winter fuel payments during the cost-of-living crisis and controversy surrounding US Ambassador Peter Mandelson’s reported connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contributing to the drop in support.
At the same time, backing has continued to grow for the right-wing Reform UK party and the Green Party under progressive figure Zack Polanski, who has been outspoken in condemning Israel’s war on Gaza.
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