Embattled prime minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce a timetable for his departure imminently , putting the UK on course for its seventh premier in a decade.
It is understood that Starmer will set out his intentions outside 10 Downing Street, potentially as early as Monday.
The move would clear the way for Andy Burnham to become prime minister by the autumn without a formal contest.
The expected announcement follows a thumping victory by Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, in last week’s Makerfield byelection, near Wigan. Burnham, who will returned to the House of Commons after nine years in the regional role, said his defeat of Reform UK in the contest represented the “last chance” for Labour to seize the moment for change.
RM Block
With more than half a dozen cabinet ministers having privately told Starmer that his time is up – and the additional pressure of a hostile cabinet meeting on Tuesday – the prime minister spent the weekend at the Chequers country retreat with his wife Victoria finalising a likely exit plan.
A senior member of the UK’s cabinet said the Labour Party leader had faced the “political realities” of his predicament.
Peter Kyle, the UK’s business secretary, confirmed on BBC television on Sunday that Starmer was considering resigning.
Kyle said Starmer was reflecting on “political realities”.
It was also reported that foreign secretary Yvette Cooper was among the senior cabinet members to have told Starmer he must go. Home secretary Shabana Mahmood and Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, were also said to have urged Starmer to set out a timetable for his exit.
[ Can Andy Burnham be a better prime minister than Keir Starmer?Opens in new window ]
In Dublin, there was a recognition at senior Government level that Starmer’s time as prime minister may be coming to an end. However, there was a belief that the UK Labour Party would be consistent on the post-Brexit reset between the capitals, and that the party would remain committed to having good relations with all parties in Northern Ireland.
Burnham’s background in Liverpool and Manchester politics was expected to give him an appreciation of links between the UK and Ireland – but there was also a recognition that challenges would persist for the occupant of 10 Downing Street, no matter who that may be.
Meanwhile, US president Donald Trump has said Starmer had “failed badly” on immigration and energy policy.
One obvious uncertainty in relation to future leader of the Labour Party is whether Burnham would be the only candidate, allowing for an effective coronation, or if other challengers will emerge and gain the necessary support.
Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last month amid efforts to push Starmer to quit, said last week he would stand in any contest and had the necessary backing of 81 MPs to do so, with allies saying over the weekend that this was still the plan.
Some MPs say they would welcome a contest to allow Burnham’s platform to be tested. There is, however, an increasing presumption that Streeting will not compete, either because he does not have the MPs needed or because he would almost certainly lose a vote of Labour MPs and would be wary of derailing preparations for the next government.
Throughout the Makerfield campaign, Starmer insisted he would resist any attempt by the Greater Manchester mayor to unseat him. “I’m not going to walk away,” Starmer said on May 18th. “I feel very strongly I must serve the people who voted me into office.”
Allies said Starmer had defied his critics before and would do so again. But privately, they admitted much would depend on the size of Burnham’s majority.
Labour MPs have set out opposing views online on whether Starmer should go, and if so, what the process should be to decide the next prime minister.
Health minister Preet Kaur Gill posted on X that there was “far too much Westminster gossip and not enough focus on the people we are here to serve”.
Home office minister Mike Tapp has suggested MPs should pass a law requiring a general election if a new prime minister takes office. Posting on X, Tapp said: “Is it time to legislate; if a change of leader is forced by its own party then a general election must be called. That would stop the constant churn and focus all politicians on delivery, instead of workplace politics. These endless ‘house of cards’ games would end and the country would benefit.” – Additional reporting: The Guardian
