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Starmer facing pressure from Burnham and Streeting allies not to fight leadership challenge

Labour needed to “pull together” to contest the byelection to replace Burnham as the mayor of [Greater Manchester](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/greater-manchester). Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary who helped lead Burnham’s campaign, called

Trio of senior defence figures accuse Starmer of underfunding military

Keir Starmer is leaving British troops underfunded and unable to carry out the operations he expects from them, according to scathing remarks delivered in parliament on Tuesday by three senior defence figures. The prime minister

PM insists he will not walk away as Burnham promises to change Labour

Starmer has repeated his insistence that he will "not walk away" from the job of prime minister despite more than a week of turbulence in his party, which saw five of his ministers resign

Streeting says he would join leadership race as Burnham vows to 'save' Labour

Starmer as leader should he be selected as the party's candidate in the by-election and win - said the vote must be a moment to "reclaim the Labour party, to save it from where

I have a duty to stay on, says Starmer, as he justifies defence spending decisions

Starmer has told the BBC he has a "duty" to stay on as prime minister as he sought to justify his decisions on defence spending. Speaking the day after [two of his defence ministers quit

Unhappy Labour MPs aren't ready to oust Starmer yet

Starmer is seriously unpopular. I think we are going to lose the next election. The only way we win is if people feel better off and I have not heard a serious argument from

Labour leadership jostling puts Brexit back under political spotlight

Keir Starmer, Labour have trod warily around the issue of Brexit, sticking to "red lines" that, while seeking a closer relationship with the EU, the UK would not be rejoining either the EU's single

Digested week: King bites his tongue as a president indulges his fantasies | John Crace

Labour and nine crossbenchers – to return as long as they give up their family titles and assume new ones as life peers. This apparent U-turn is apparently a bribe from the prime minister

Andy Burnham vows to ‘change Labour’ in direct challenge to Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/keir-starmer) said on Monday he had no intention of stepping aside should Burnham win the byelection and that he wanted to fight the next election, setting up a potentially ugly battle

No, Minister: the week Keir Starmer had his own Sir Humphrey moment

Keir Starmer](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/keir-starmer), had his own Sir Humphrey moment – potentially an existential one. Olly Robbins, [fired by the prime minister](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/16/foreign-offices-top-civil-servant-olly-robbins-leaves-post-in-mandelson-vetting-row) as the Foreign Office’s permanent secretary after not informing

‘Toxic’ views of Reform UK candidates raise questions about party’s vetting

Keir Starmer](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/keir-starmer) should be shot is among a number of contenders fuelling doubts about the party’s claim to have tightened up its vetting. The past comments of Linda McFarlane and other

Wednesday briefing: In a new era of far-right organising, how can we tackle hate?

Labour’s “torpor and timidity” towards the EU as they call for the UK to rejoin the single market, in a notable strengthening of their own position. 3. ***Middle East*** | Iran’s top diplomat

Wes Streeting vowed to fix ‘broken’ NHS but critics say he failed to deliver

Keir Starmer](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/14/wes-streeting-resignation-letter-what-he-said-and-what-he-meant) at lunchtime on Thursday. The NHS’s target for reducing patients’ waits for planned hospital treatment in England? “Surpassed … the biggest monthly drop outside of Covid since

Burnham to back Shabana Mahmood’s immigration changes, allies say

Keir Starmer or persuading him to step down. But [Labour](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/labour) MPs who have canvassed in the constituency say it will be a very difficult fight in a seat where Reform’s support

‘King of the North’: Who is Andy Burnham, a potential UK prime minister?

Keir Starmer, are reportedly being asked to stand aside should the 56-year-old mayor win a by-election. However, just how far outside the establishment is Burnham, what is his background, and what might

Olly Robbins is just the latest: a guide to the high-profile exits under Starmer’s tenure

Keir Starmer’s two-year tenure as prime minister. Here we take a look at some of the most high-profile resignations since Starmer came to power. ## Officials 1. --- ### Sue Gray Gray was the prime

Starmer would have blocked Mandelson role over vetting failure, says Lammy

Keir Starmer would have blocked Peter Mandelson from serving as the UK’s ambassador to Washington had he known he failed [security vetting](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/apr/17/what-happens-security-vetting-peter-mandelson), David Lammy has said, as he attempted to shore

Burnham’s momentum builds in Makerfield as byelection nears

Keir Starmer insists he will fight to stay in No 10, the walls seem to be crumbling around him, especially with Thursday’s resignation of the defence secretary, John Healey. Two hundred miles north, most

Birmingham is awash with local election candidates – but will result be a ‘coalition of chaos’?

results in May, with elections taking place across Scotland, Wales and English councils that are likely to lead to gains for the Green party and Reform. In Birmingham, Labour’s 14-year dominance could also

UK PM Keir Starmer resigns. And, US and Iran agree to roadmap for final deal

Keir Starmer makes a statement on his future outside 10 Downing Street on the morning of June 22, 2026, in London. **Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images** Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images - 🎧 **Part of Starmer