Starmer faces internal Labour leadership pressure after local election losses

Lewis Goodall and Pat McFaddenPresenter Lewis Goodall tore into a minister on LBC on Sunday over the ongoing Labour leadership speculation.Speaking to work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden, the LBC host said it was “ridiculous” to see the government “in stasis” while waiting to see if a coup happens.His words come as Labour and Reform battle it out in the Makerfield by-election in a crunch vote which could determine the next prime minister.Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is the Labour candidate, and if he wins, he is likely to challenge Keir Starmer’s premiership.Makerfield MP Josh Simons stood aside earlier this month just so Burnham had a path to parliament.While a contest has not yet been formally declared, ex-health secretary Wes Streeting has made it clear he would join any leadership race.General despair within Labour over its defeat in the May elections in England, Scotland and Wales means even if Burnham is unsuccessful, the party is expected to go into a state of civil war.Goodall said to McFadden: “There was a lot of criticism from your party about the chaos the Tories inflicted upon us.“Even the Tories didn’t do what you’re doing right now, did they?“They didn’t orchestrate a by-election while the whole party turns around to the country and says, ‘hang on lads, hang on everybody, we’re just going to wait and see if this guy gets into parliament, we will probably get him to replace the prime minister, if he doesn’t we will probably all fall apart anyway, and in the meantime, the government’s all kind of in abeyance, in stasis.’“This is ridiculous, isn’t it?”The cabinet minister replied. “We have to remember that we are only two years into a five year parliament.“I don’t think election victories fall from the sky. I think Keir Starmer’s had too little credit for winning the 2024 election.“And so I do think it is important to look outward and not have a purely internal debate while the task of governing goes on.”'Even the Tories didn't do what you're doing right now - this is ridiculous isn't it?'@Lewis_Goodall asks @patmcfaddenmp for his views on the ongoing speculation around the leadership of the Labour Party, and Keir Starmer's chances of survival. pic.twitter.com/n2iyrSPTZY— LBC (@LBC) May 31, 2026Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.Related...Keir Starmer Insists 'Much' Of Tony Blair's Attack On Labour Was WrongEven As Rivals Close In, Keir Starmer's Government Still Cannot Communicate'He Fights On': David Lammy Insists Starmer Will Not Set Out A Timetable For His Departure From No.10

From left, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown ahead of the Accession Council ceremony at St James's Palace, London, London, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022Tony Blair has warned Labour is “playing with fire over its future” following the latest efforts to oust Keir Starmer from office.The comments mark the first major intervention from the former Labour prime minister, who won three general elections and sat in No.10 for a decade, since the party’s landslide victory in 2024.The highly unusual warning comes after close to 100 Labour MPs publicly called for Starmer to resign in the wake of the party’s shocking defeat in the May elections in England, Wales and Scotland.Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary days later and is now expected to challenge Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham for the leadership title, if the latter wins next month’s Makerfield by-election.While the starting gun on any such contest is yet to be fired, there’s no doubt that Starmer’s future is hanging by a thread.In a new essay, Blair urged the party to rethink its strategy altogether and avoid drifting further left.He wrote: “The Labour Party is playing with fire; or, more accurately with its future, and that of the country.”He said that the party has “an almost infinite capacity for self-delusion” and needs to reassess its approach to policy.“Wes Streeting is a huge political talent and Andy Burnham was an outstanding member of my government,” Blair said.“But this leadership debate has an extraordinarily retro 20th-century feel to it.”While also taking aim at Starmer for only winning the public over on the basis of not being the Conservatives, he said Westminster must distance itself from the “politics” bubble.He said: “The world is turning on its axis and today’s politicians, living in a 24/7 pressure cooker, have barely time to recognise the turning let alone study it.“These changes need long-term strategic thinking which is alien to the way most modern democracies function.”Blair then called out the main reasons many Labour rebels want to depose Starmer, saying: “The government’s principal problem isn’t Keir’s personality. Or a failure to communicate ‘our achievements’. Or a need to assert more strongly Labour’s ‘values’.“It is because we don’t have a worked-out, coherent plan for the country in a fast-changing world and are in the wrong political position from which we can devise one and win a second term.”He warned that the government is governing from Labour’s “comfort zone”, the soft-left.“Whether there is a leadership change or not is irrelevant if it doesn’t start with a policy debate,” he noted. “Trying to force the prime minister out before we know what policy direction we’re bringing in is not a serious way of conducting ourselves.”He called on the party to reconsider its approach to economic growth for both prosperity and social justice, to reconsider how to meet the challenges of AI and how the foreign policy works in a changing world order.Blair warned: “Governments which succeed don’t start with a personality contest. Or a political question – as in, how do we ‘save the country’ from Reform.“They start with an idea, a project, a governing purpose, an analysis of what is wrong and a plan to put it right.”The ex-prime minister urged Downing Street to support Donald Trump, too, even though the public have largely supported Starmer’s decision not to follow the US president into another war in the Middle East.He suggested cutting benefits and abandoning Net Zero to move with the times.The former Labour leader also took a jab at his one-time chancellor and successor, Gordon Brown, saying the party has “never fully recovered” from its move to the left in 2007 – when Blair left office.Brown is notably working as Starmer’s special envoy on global finance and cooperation.Blair tore into the prime minister’s indecision over its policy direction, and accused its economic approach of giving “headwinds not tailwinds to British business”.Blair proposed Labour become the “radical centre”, where he claims elections can still be won.“The centre is the place where policy comes first and politics second,” he said.Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.Related...Tony Blair Slams Keir Starmer For Not Backing Trump's War On IranBBC Middle East Expert Explains Why Palestinians Don't Want Tony Blair Running GazaTrump Casts Doubt On Whether Tony Blair Will Help Run Gaza After All

Keir Starmer speaks to guests during a reception for homelessness charities and organizations who played an influential role in bringing forward the Renters' Rights Act, at number 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday May 19, 2026.Minister Chris Bryant had an unenviable job on Wednesday. He had to tell his fellow MPs that the government had made a mistake.A rather big one, it turned out.“We have handled this rather clumsily,” he told the Commons. “I think we have ended up giving the wrong impression of what we are trying to do...”He was, on this occasion, referring to Labour’s confused messaging around the UK’s sanctions against Russian oil, which had caused international bewilderment earlier in the week.But the minister could have been talking about a number of Labour’s major policies from its two years in office.This latest saga started when the Department of Business and Trade incorrectly suggested it was going to be easing its sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.Successive governments have taken pride in the UK’s robust support for Ukraine following Vladimir Putin’s 2022 invasion.Ministers have regularly announced fresh rounds of penalties against Russia and its lucrative oil industry to squeeze its economy. So, the apparent decision to effectively water down years of hard work caused instant outrage. Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (R) and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) attend a bilateral meeting ahead of the 8th European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan on May 3, 2026.Tory leader Kemi Badenoch then accused Keir Starmer of “losing his moral compass” during prime minister’s questions.Labour MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Emily Thornberry slammed the decision, telling the BBC: “People feel very let down.”Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office even approached Downing Street for clarity, amid fears the UK’s support was waning.It turns out, the initial messaging was wrong.In reality, Labour was keeping its old sanctions, but had decided to phase in its next batch of penalties – meant to stop Russian oil reaching the UK via third countries – at a slower rate than usual.The decision stemmed from ongoing concerns about the impact of the Iran war on jet fuel supplies.Ministers have insisted they still plan on closing that loophole, but not until January 1, due to the uncertainty in the Middle East.Once Bryant cleared up the confusion in the chamber, concerned Labour MPs told HuffPost UK they felt somewhat reassured – but would be keeping a close eye to make sure the loophole is still closed in the end.Thornberry wrote on X that she was “relieved” to see clarification from the government, but added: “I only wish there could be a complete ban sooner.”Even so, Keir Giles, associate fellow of Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia programme, told HuffPost UK: “It’s all a mess.”He said the government had sent “mixed messages” and that the “comms cock-up is just horrendous”.“I could imagine, quite plausibly, that the conversation might have gone, Ukraine saying to the UK, ‘what the hell are you doing?’,” he claimed. Our messaging has been terribleDavid Skaith, Labour mayor of York and North YorkshireThe government also wasted time recovering from another self-inflicted wound this week, after curiously briefing plans to introduce price caps on key supermarket products.Treasury secretary Dan Tomlinson subsequently told the media they would, in fact, not install a mandatory cap after all.Even when the government had the opportunity to celebrate what some might see as good news, such as its success with bringing net migration figures down to the lowest rate since the Covid pandemic on Thursday, ministers got distracted.The government chose to release the files on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s past as a UK trade envoy on the same day, overshadowing migration news.With more than a dozen U-turns in under 23 months of government, it’s no wonder Labour was thrashed in the elections in England, Wales and Scotland earlier this month.These policy mix-ups and a conflicted approach to strategy are symptomatic of the primary flaw with Starmer’s government: an inability to communicate.Even at this most perilous moment for his premiership, he and his ministers are struggling to stay on message – or even decide what that message is.David Skaith, the Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire, even admitted to Times Radio that he condemned his party’s approach.“We’ve not been connecting with the people well enough and our messaging has been terrible,” he said.“I think hope and belief and confidence in politicians and politics is probably as low as it’s ever been.”Starmer has also been described as the least popular prime minister of modern times by the pollster Ipsos.It’s unsurprising wonder that desperate Labour MPs are looking to Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, the party’s most popular politician, to stage a coup.He has been praised for taking a direct approach to criticism and for his slick social media presence.Andy Burnham stands with supporters during the launch of his campaign as Labour's candidate for the Makerfield by-election in Makerfield, England, Friday, May 22, 2026If Burnham wins the hotly-contested Makerfield by-election next month, MPs are hoping he will take a more radical approach to government.But the Labour candidate promised on Friday that he would honour the party’s 2024 manifesto until the next general election.“The main change Burnham would bring is just... vibes,” a Labour insider said. “Though vibes-based politicians are what people want these days.”Considering a source within party headquarters told HuffPost UK this week that Labour atmosphere is “like a morgue, if that morgue was on a space ship that was hurtling towards certain destruction”, it’s no surprise MPs wants to head in a new direction.A government insider also admitted Burnham would be “better at the personality side of things and he’s of a more political player,” than Starmer.However they warned: “His politics won’t be that different”.“You can only get so far on vibes alone,” another Labour campaigner said.But, as evidenced this week, it’s often the communication, not the policy, which is the main obstacle for the government.If Burnham manages to cut through with his more effective “vibes-based” approach, insiders have their fingers crossed that Labour’s fortunes may turn around.As a senior Labour source added: “Do we have Keir Starmer problem or a Labour problem? We’ll soon find out.”Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.Related...Andy Burnham Confirmed As Labour Candidate In Crunch Makerfield By-ElectionLabour Lost Almost 4 Times As Many Voters To Greens Than To Reform In Local Elections, Poll FindsKeir Starmer Says He Wants To Lead Labour Into The Next General Election

Keir Starmer insists he "won't walk away" from being PM.Keir Starmer has said he wants to lead Labour in the next general election, despite mounting calls for him to quit.The prime minister once again insisted he was “not going to walk away” from Downing Street as he issued a fresh challenge to his rivals.More than 90 Labour MPs have publicly called on the PM to resign, while the party’s trade union backers have said he will not be leader come the next election, in the wake of the disastrous elections on May 7.Wes Streeting quit as health secretary with a furious attack on his time in office as is expected to mount a leadership challenge within weeks.Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is hoping to win the upcoming Makerfield by-election so he can also mount a bid for the top job.But speaking on Monday, Starmer insisted his premiership was not over.He said: “I do want to fight the next election. Obviously, I recognise that after the local election results, the elections in Wales and Scotland as well, that the first task is obviously turning things around and making sure that my focus is in the right place.“The last 10 days, there’s been a lot of activity, which hasn’t been as focused in my view as it should have been, and I remind myself every day that I was elected to office to serve the people, to serve the country, that’s what I believe in, and that’s what I’ll be getting on with.”He said he would not “walk away” and would not set out a timetable to stand down if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield by-election.Starmer also denied that his time in office was “over”.He said: “No, we’ve got a lot of work to do, and I was addressing Labour Party staff, actually this morning, reminding them that we were elected into office by millions of people to bring about change in this country.“That’s our responsibility. My responsibility is to serve people who voted us into office, serve my country, to remind people that we have achieved already in terms of stabilising the economy, investing in the NHS, so that waiting lists are coming down.“All those things make a material difference to people’s lives, but there’s a lot more to do, and obviously after the local election results, the results in Scotland and Wales, we need to show we can turn things around, and that’s what we’re doing.“But I’m very focused on what I consider to be my responsibility, my duty, and that is to the country.”Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.Related...'He Fights On': David Lammy Insists Starmer Will Not Set Out A Timetable For His Departure From No.10Streeting Throws Down Brexit Gauntlet To Burnham As Rivals Vie To Replace StarmerKeir Starmer's Time In Downing Street Is Coming To An End – But Who Comes Next?

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer sits beside David Lammy, Deputy Prime Minister, as he delivers remarks at the top of the Cabinet meeting to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine at Downing Street in London, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.David Lammy has insisted Keir Starmer is not going set out a timetable for his departure from No.10.The deputy prime minister insisted Starmer will “fight on” despite mounting criticism of his leadership of the Labour Party and the government.His remarks come amid reports that the PM was contemplating announcing when he will leave Downing Street as his rivals circle.More than 90 MPs publicly called for Starmer to step down after the party’s catastrophic performance in the elections in England, Wales and Scotland earlier this month.Four junior ministers also quit the government, while health secretary Wes Streeting also resigned with a furious attack on the prime minister.Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is also running to be the Labour candidate in next month’s Makerfield by-election, and is widely expected to challenge Starmer himself if he wins.But despite speculation that Starmer is already preparing to make way for a successor, Lammy claimed the prime minister is not going anywhere.Speaking to Sky News, he said: “Let me be really clear: Keir Starmer remains the most resilient person I know in my life.“I spoke to him twice yesterday, he has a strength of character, a fighting experience. There will be no timetables. What there is is getting on with the business of government – really crystal clear about that.“At the moment, there is no contest. What there is is his determination to deliver for the British people, accelerate the pace over the coming months, much to do.”“There will be no timetable for the PM’s departure.”He later told BBC Breakfast: “I believe in loyalty, I believe in trust, I believe conviction.“I stand by [Starmer].”“He’s got three years. He has my full support,” he added.Asked if that meant Starmer would fight any leadership campaign, the cabinet minister said: “He’s been crystal clear that he fights on on behalf of the British people, delivering in government, He has my full support.”Asked if Starmer will be campaigning for Burnham despite their clear rivalry, he said: “All of us in cabinet will be campaigning to ensure there is a Labour win in Makerfield.”Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.Related...Streeting Throws Down Brexit Gauntlet To Burnham As Rivals Vie To Replace StarmerKeir Starmer's Time In Downing Street Is Coming To An End – But Who Comes Next?Starmer's Premiership Is Under Threat. What Could Happen Next?

It’s been a tumultuous week for Britain’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, who is facing a leadership crisis. Following a chaotic week in which nearly 90 Labour MPs called on Starmer to resign, along with a series of ministerial resignations, the Prime Minister is clinging on to power. Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he would stand in any leadership contest, while Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, is plotting a return to Parliament after confirming he will stand in the Makerfield by-election. To discuss the unfolding events, France 24’s Gavin Lee is joined by Karl Hansen, former Labour adviser and political writer for Tribune Magazine.