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UK’s Keir Starmer faces likely challenge following Labour’s election defeat

support. A leadership contest requires the endorsement of 81 Labour MPs. Likely challengers to the leadership include Health Secretary Wes Streeting

MPs from Labour’s left to urge Ed Miliband to consider leadership bid

Street. The prime minister has reiterated his determination to stay on, saying on Saturday that a change of leadership would “plunge the country into chaos”. A number of Labour MPs from across the party support

Starmer faces perilous 24 hours as Streeting preparing for leadership bid

Wes Streeting](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/wes-streeting) said he was prepared to bid for the leadership if the prime minister’s premiership falls apart this week. Starmer was hoping to save his job with a speech that

Tuesday briefing: Starmer’s ‘last chance’ speech and the possible challengers to his premiership

Wes Streeting,” he says. “Andy Burnham isn’t in parliament, and Angela Rayner still has [tax issues](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/18/angela-rayners-allies-say-hmrc-inquiry-set-to-be-resolved-before-may-elections) and doesn’t seem to have the parliamentary support needed to win a contest

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

Wes Streeting,** who is widely seen as a likely candidate in a potential leadership race despite publicly denying such ambitions, said **Starmer had his “support”.** ![Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media in London

'We need to move quickly,' says Labour MP seeking to challenge PM

Labour should change their leader." Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham are thought to be the main potential challengers to Sir Keir's leadership. Burnham

Starmer insists he won’t quit as PM, as former minister Catherine West seeks to trigger Labour leadership contest – UK politics live

support of 81 Labour MPs to trigger a contest; there is no evidence that she has those numbers and (for reasons that are probably a mystery to anyone under the age of 50 – more

Labour’s better than expected thrashing may allow Starmer to cling on in No 10

Wes Streeting and Angela Rayner, who have significant support among MPs and would be likely to enter any leadership contest, are both reluctant to be the first mover against Starmer – in keeping with

Who could challenge Keir Starmer for the UK PM’s job? Meet the candidates

Street Community Centre on May 11, 2026 in London, England. Prime Minister and Labour Leader Keir Starmer is making a major speech in a bid to secure his premiership, following the devastating losses the Labour

Challenge Starmer by Monday or I will, Labour MP tells cabinet

Labour MPs who also think his time is up." Some in government believe West's call for the cabinet to replace Sir Keir with its "best communicator" means she is tacitly supporting Wes Streeting, though

Keir Starmer under pressure to agree exit plan after election mauling

leadership rivals, said they would keep their counsel and watch how events developed over the weekend. Wes Streeting was expected to speak to the media after his local council results. But they all appeared

Where does Starmer’s leadership stand – and who are his potential challengers?

support to reach the nomination threshold – 20% of Labour MPs. While a few months ago, many were sceptical, more are now looking to him as the answer.  Wes Streeting

Keir Starmer to face crucial cabinet meeting as ministers and MPs urge him to resign – UK politics live

leadership contest). But in the afternoon government loyalists, and some prominent Wes Streeting supporters, started speaking out. And by early evening parliamentary private secretaries (technically, people on the government “payroll”) were joining

Starmer to promise bolder action as leadership threats mount

Wes Streeting. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is also seen as a potential leadership rival, although a speedy contest would hamper his chances because he would first need to become an MP to stand

How could Labour remove Keir Starmer? Four possible routes

Wes Streeting, and the former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner all claim their candidate has the necessary support to force a vote. But it may be that MPs who pledge their support in whispered conversations

Andy Burnham has plan to return to Westminster ‘within weeks’, allies say

Wes Streeting and Rayner – are both said to have 80 MPs willing to back their candidates for an immediate challenge to Starmer. But Burnham supporters said they hoped to convince the prime minister

Phillipson: challenge to Starmer would be wrong despite election ‘kicking’

Wes Streeting, Angela Rayner or Ed Miliband could come forward. A contest in the coming weeks would rule out a return for Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, who is not in parliament

More than 60 Labour MPs call on Starmer to set timetable to quit

Wes Streeting who called for the prime minister to go. Other MPs have followed, including the Scottish Labour MP Alan Gemmell and Streeting’s constituency neighbour Jas Athwal. “Even in places like Redbridge, where

Cabinet split as Mahmood calls on Starmer to set out timetable to go

Wes Streeting, a potential leadership contender. Morris said the prime minister "no longer has the trust or confidence of the public". Melanie Ward, PPS to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, Naushabah Khan, PPS to Cabinet

Unhappy Labour MPs aren't ready to oust Starmer yet

Wes Streeting." Another potential Burnham supporter was more downbeat. He recognised that the Greater Manchester mayor would need to stand in a "very safe seat" given Labour's polling, and that a supportive MP would