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UK ex-health minister says will run to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer when the contest is triggered. Starmer’s government has been on the edge, with the United Kingdom leader facing calls for resignation since his ruling Labour party suffered disastrous local elections. Though Starmer

British leader Keir Starmer under pressure after heavy election losses

Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, is facing increasing pressure to set a date for his departure after elections across much of the country resulted in massive losses for his ruling Labour party. With

Burnham cleared to run for selection in pivotal by-election

Starmer as prime minister. The prime minister is continuing to resist calls to stand down and set a timetable for his departure and is expected to fight any challenge from Burnham or other likely contenders

Analysis: Has Starmer done enough to save his premiership?

Starmer's speech. Was it enough to avert a challenge to the prime minister's leadership less than two years after he won a landslide general election victory? In the first instance, the person whose

Starmer began the day damaged and then things got worse

departure. Leadership contenders were circling. He faced an unlikely stalking horse in backbench MP Catherine West. At the London community centre where he was giving his speech to Labour members, the few senior party figures

Starmer warns leadership contest would 'plunge us into chaos' in pleas to ministers and MPs

Starmer met shortly before the Labour government set out its legislative programme in the King's Speech, which marked the start of a new parliamentary session. The legislation announced by King Charles

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

Keir Starmer over the weekend not to fight a leadership challenge. Burnham, who won a compelling majority in the [Makerfield byelection](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/makerfield-byelection) overnight, is expected to travel to London on Monday to meet

Foreign secretary concerned ministers not told of Mandelson vetting fears sooner

Starmer is facing calls to resign from opposition parties and is due to answer questions on the scandal in Parliament on Monday. The Foreign Office's top civil servant Sir Olly Robbins, who was sacked

Monday briefing: Will the international effort to stop the further spread of hantavirus be successful?

Keir Starmer faces a fight for his political life in the next 24 hours as potential [Labour leadership rivals](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/10/starmer-faces-perilous-24-hours-streeting-readying-leadership-bid) from Wes Streeting to Angela Rayner position themselves for a contest. 2. ***Iran

Pressure mounts on Starmer to quit after Burnham’s by-election win

Keir Starmer is weighing whether to resign within days, according to media reports, amid mounting pressure from his own Labour Party following a decisive by-election win by his rival, Andy Burnham. Expectation is growing

Britain faces weeks of leadership limbo in slow-motion coup against Starmer

departure. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has made no secret of his political ambitions, [quit the cabinet](/news/2026/5/14/uk-health-secretary-wes-streeting-resigns-from-government) on May 14, telling Starmer in his resignation letter: “It is now clear that you will

Pressure grows on Starmer as more Labour MPs call for resignation – UK politics live

departure from No 10. Read more here: In the wake of the local election results, **Keir Starmer faced calls to stand down** after voters handed a damning verdict on the Labour party. Starmer took responsibility

Friday briefing: Andy Burnham wins Makerfield byelection to set up possible leadership bid

announced just after 3am, it was clear that Burnham had secured a thumping victory, winning 24,927 votes (55%) for Labour and increasing the party’s vote share by nearly 10%. Robert Kenyon for Reform

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

How Labour’s ‘terrible’ night unfolded as Reform surges and Greens and Lib Dems hail wins

Keir Starmer](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-resignation-ed-miliband-labour-tzvlmjxzc) he should set a timetable for his resignation if the results were as bad as they looked. But for the prime minister, as polling stations closed in Wales, [Scotland

How would a Labour leadership contest work?

departure. The PM says that he intends to "get on with governing" as no formal leadership challenge has been launched. But how could MPs who want to see Sir Keir replaced force a leadership contest

Can Starmer survive as PM? Seven scenarios for what might happen next

Starmer's premiership has never looked more vulnerable as growing numbers of his own MPs call on him to stand down after a disastrous set of election results. The prime minister has vowed to fight

Is Starmer's leadership under serious threat?

Starmer? The former minister Catherine West's interview with Radio 4's PM programme immediately raised eyebrows around Westminster. Plenty of Labour MPs from across the party have told us they didn

Labour's Andy Burnham wins a special election, setting up a showdown with Starmer to lead Britain

announced early Friday cements the status of Burnham, a 56-year-old politician nicknamed the King of the North, as the top contender to replace Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the country

Analysis: Andy Burnham's route back to the Commons is clearer - but one big hurdle remains

Starmer used his authority and control over Labour's ruling National Executive Committee to block Burnham from standing. This time, Number 10 has indicated it will not seek to block him again. After a week