{"id":40632,"date":"2026-05-14T15:53:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T15:53:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/after-wes-streeting-resigns-who-are-the-contenders-to-oust-british-pm\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:53:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T15:53:40","slug":"after-wes-streeting-resigns-who-are-the-contenders-to-oust-british-pm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/after-wes-streeting-resigns-who-are-the-contenders-to-oust-british-pm\/","title":{"rendered":"After Wes Streeting resigns, who are the contenders to oust British PM?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"anchor-afad31\" class=\"body-graf\">LONDON \u2014 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks set to face the challenge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/united-kingdom\/keir-starmer-refuses-quit-pm-labour-party-rebels-local-elections-rcna344677\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">he dared his mutinous party to produce.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><button class=\"styles_subscriptionCTA__LOUeY\" id=\"subscriptionCTA\" type=\"button\"><img src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,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\" alt=\"NBC News Icon\" class=\"styles_icon__wRwWv\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"styles_textWrapper__vxvko\">\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB styles_textLarge__qlzwu\">Subscribe to read this story ad-free    <\/p>\n<p class=\"styles_text__daaVB\">Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\" alt=\"arrow\" class=\"styles_arrow__tnruW\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/button><\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c62ae5\" class=\"body-graf\">His health secretary, Wes Streeting, resigned Thursday, setting up a potential clash over the future of the United Kingdom and its ruling center-left Labour Party.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-d840b1\" class=\"body-graf\">The prime minister is facing a rebellion from his own members of Parliament, triggered by losses during midterms-style local and regional elections last week, on top of a series of humiliating scandals that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/united-kingdom\/keir-starmer-refuses-quit-pm-labour-party-rebels-local-elections-rcna344677\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">forced Starmer to sack <\/a>several of his key allies.<\/p>\n<section class=\"inline-video inline-video--in-body\" data-testid=\"inline-video\" id=\"anchor-f8a606\">\n<div class=\"inline-video__background\">\n<div class=\"inline-video__player\">\n<div class=\"styles_gridStackWrapper__Z_AMc styles_videoContainer___xc7B video-container paused\" data-testid=\"gamma-video-player\">\n<div class=\"styles_gridStackWrapper__Z_AMc videoSlate styles_videoSlate__IvkAP\"><picture class=\"\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"focal\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1240px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_focal-860x484,f_auto,q_auto:best\/mpx\/2704722219\/2026_05\/1778633229966_now_topstory_prime_minister_starmer_260512_S3_1920x1080-qs2ilv.jpg\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 758px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_focal-1000x563,f_auto,q_auto:best\/mpx\/2704722219\/2026_05\/1778633229966_now_topstory_prime_minister_starmer_260512_S3_1920x1080-qs2ilv.jpg\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_focal-760x428,f_auto,q_auto:best\/mpx\/2704722219\/2026_05\/1778633229966_now_topstory_prime_minister_starmer_260512_S3_1920x1080-qs2ilv.jpg\"\/><img src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_focal-760x428,f_auto,q_auto:best\/mpx\/2704722219\/2026_05\/1778633229966_now_topstory_prime_minister_starmer_260512_S3_1920x1080-qs2ilv.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p id=\"anchor-55afea\" class=\"body-graf\">Streeting said that Starmer \u201cwill not lead the Labour Party into the next general election\u201d and that Britain requires \u201ca bold vision and bigger solutions than we are offering.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-cec014\" class=\"body-graf\">If Streeting is able to trigger a leadership contest by amassing support among the party\u2019s MPs, several other figures are thought to be considering whether to enter the fray.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9b611d\" class=\"body-graf\">Here are the possible contenders.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-dd8e27\" class=\"body-heading\">Wes Streeting<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-bb96e4\" class=\"body-graf\">The baby-faced health secretary, 43, hails from the centrist wing of the Labour Party and is seen as a razor-sharp communicator who has long harbored barely concealed ambitions for the top job.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-feaea6\" class=\"body-graf\">He became the first mover Thursday, quitting Starmer\u2019s Cabinet and expressing hope that the leader would \u201cfacilitate\u201d a challenge.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-242f1c\" class=\"body-graf\">He is seen as a \u201cBlairite,\u201d having professed admiration for Labour\u2019s most successful postwar leader, Tony Blair, who dragged the party to the center. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-6a92b6\" class=\"body-graf\">Streeting\u2019s views could prove a significant hurdle in garnering support from Labour\u2019s membership, however, with left-wing factions within the party regarding him as too centrist or even right wing.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-cd37d4\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-wes-streeting-mb-1248-b03c30.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-wes-streeting-mb-1248-b03c30.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-wes-streeting-mb-1248-b03c30.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-wes-streeting-mb-1248-b03c30.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-wes-streeting-mb-1248-b03c30.jpg\" alt=\"Wes Streeting Launches NHS Day Action In Runcorn\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Streeting in Runcorn, England, in 2025.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Cameron Smith \/ Getty Images file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-26fe95\" class=\"body-graf\">There are also questions over the extent of his friendship with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/europe\/uk-starmer-admits-mistake-mandelson-epstein-friend-rcna340946\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Peter Mandelson<\/a>, the recently fired British ambassador in Washington. Mandelson was arrested for misconduct in public office in February over messages he allegedly exchanged with the late sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein. Streeting has denied a close friendship with Mandelson, and Mandelson has denied any wrongdoing.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-9b99bc\" class=\"body-graf\">Streeting has a \u201cfascinating backstory,\u201d said Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, despite his reputation that he \u201cmight be too centrist for many\u201d in the party.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-afc9f5\" class=\"body-graf\">The grandson of a convicted bank robber, Streeting was born to teenage parents living in poverty in East London. He is gay and has spoken frequently about his Christian faith, unusual for a politician in relatively nonreligious Britain.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-f0ed8b\" class=\"body-graf\">He has been the health secretary since Starmer\u2019s landslide victory in June 2024. That means he is in charge of stewarding England\u2019s beloved but creaking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/europe\/uks-public-health-service-crisis-threatening-institution-heart-british-rcna228773\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Health Service (NHS)<\/a>, which provides treatment and care that\u2019s free at the point of access.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-d7be2b\" class=\"body-graf\">Questioning the NHS funding model is heresy across much of Britain, but Streeting has said it needs to \u201cmodernize or die\u201d and has advocated for using the \u201ccapacity\u201d of private healthcare providers to ease the strain on the system. Streeting\u2019s time in the job has also seen him frequently clash with striking healthcare workers, a potential hurdle in a party with deep ties to Britain\u2019s trade unions.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-a80931\" class=\"body-heading\">Andy Burnham<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-313b6b\" class=\"body-graf\">Many of those in contention for the top job have been in  Starmer\u2019s inner circle across his two tumultuous years in power. That\u2019s not the case for Andy Burnham, who is outside Parliament, serving as the mayor of Greater Manchester.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-36cc6a\" class=\"body-graf\">Burnham, 56, is Britain\u2019s most popular politician, according to polling from YouGov, with 35% of people holding a positive view of him.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b9cd5e\" class=\"body-graf\">He has won three consecutive terms in the city of Oasis and Manchester United soccer club, projecting a \u201csoft left\u201d politics that mixes progressive values with centrist electoral pragmatism.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-6ba0da\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-andy-burnham-mb-1251-ccad6b.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-andy-burnham-mb-1251-ccad6b.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-andy-burnham-mb-1251-ccad6b.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-andy-burnham-mb-1251-ccad6b.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-andy-burnham-mb-1251-ccad6b.jpg\" alt=\"Andy Burnham mayoral campaign launch\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Burnham in Salford, Greater Manchester, in 2024.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Danny Lawson  \/ PA via Getty Images file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-244a0d\" class=\"body-graf\">He would be a firm favorite in an open contest, but he has one big problem: He is not currently eligible to run for leader, as he is not an MP in the House of Commons.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-c2d1f7\" class=\"body-graf\">That means that another MP would have to step down, triggering a special election in which Burnham would have to win \u2014 a process that could take weeks, and with victory not a certainty given Labour\u2019s dismal polling nationally. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-687efc\" class=\"body-graf\">When a vacancy in Parliament came up earlier this year, Burnham was blocked from standing by the party, with factional allies of Starmer seeking to keep a potential rival out of the way.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-51cbd1\" class=\"body-graf\">Whereas Streeting has focused on Britain\u2019s international position, Burnham is \u201cmore focused on delivery for ordinary people,\u201d according to David Henig, a director at the European Centre for Political Economy.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-327d5f\" class=\"body-graf\">That revolves around his so-called Manchester Model, which has sought to incentivize investment, regeneration and innovation \u2014 something he calls \u201cbusiness-friendly socialism\u201d \u2014 helping make his city the fastest growing region of the U.K.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-db7776\" class=\"body-graf\">If supporters of Streeting move quickly, they could force a contest in which Burnham is locked out from running. Streeting however said in his resignation letter Thursday that he supported a \u201cbroad\u201d contest with \u201cthe best possible field of candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-fc1a1f\" class=\"body-graf\">Burnham is \u201cthe perfect clean-skin candidate onto whom everyone can project their heart\u2019s desires,\u201d Bale said. \u201cAnd likely to remain so forever if he can\u2019t make it into Parliament.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-60cdcf\" class=\"body-heading\">Angela Rayner<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-44200e\" class=\"body-graf\">Also hailing from the party\u2019s left is Starmer\u2019s former deputy Angela Rayner, 46, an outspoken, straight-talking presence who served as an antithesis to his more staid character.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7ba249\" class=\"body-graf\">Rayner is a former carer and trade unionist who came from a deprived household in Stockport, near Manchester, and became a mother at 16. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-af986b\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-rayner-mb-1257-89d838.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-rayner-mb-1257-89d838.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-rayner-mb-1257-89d838.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-rayner-mb-1257-89d838.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-rayner-mb-1257-89d838.jpg\" alt=\"Angela Rayner during her time as Deputy Prime Minister\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Angela Rayner during her time as deputy prime minister at the 2024 Labour Party conference in Liverpool.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Oli Scarff \/ AFP via Getty Images file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-5428ef\" class=\"body-graf\">Her red hair, northern English drawl and quick everyman wit sets her apart in a party often dominated by those who went straight into Westminster from the proving grounds of Oxford or Cambridge.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-88f014\" class=\"body-graf\">That has made her something of \u201ca working-class heroine,\u201d Bale said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-21f069\" class=\"body-graf\">Rayner was popular as Starmer\u2019s deputy, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/united-kingdom\/angela-rayner-resigns-deputy-prime-minister-keir-starmer-stamp-duty-rcna229272\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">she was forced to resign in September<\/a> after a bruising scandal which saw her admit she did not pay enough tax on a second home.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-a188ef\" class=\"body-graf\">She said this was accidental and based on bad legal advice, and on Thursday said she had been cleared of deliberate wrongdoing after a lengthy investigation by the tax authority HMRC. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-21f8cf\" class=\"body-graf\">The scandal dented her popularity, but the findings may clear the path for a leadership bid.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-3aeb30\" class=\"body-heading\">Ed Miliband<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-531b0a\" class=\"body-graf\">Perhaps an unlikely name to enter the fray is that of Ed Miliband, 56, Starmer\u2019s leftist energy secretary and champion of Britain\u2019s net-zero agenda.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-60fa42\" class=\"body-graf\">Miliband putting his name in the running might raise some eyebrows because he has already led his party in opposition once before, facing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/video\/labour-party-leader-resigns-following-defeat-in-uk-elections-441969219613\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stinging election defeat<\/a> at the hands of David Cameron\u2019s Conservative Party in 2015. Cameron\u2019s victory over Miliband paved the way for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/goodbye-europe-after-years-brexit-turmoil-britain-finally-leaves-e-n1127581\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brexit referendum, <\/a>blamed by many for the current perilous state of Britain\u2019s finances.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-cfb549\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1668\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-miliband-mb-1308-488db9.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-miliband-mb-1308-488db9.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-miliband-mb-1308-488db9.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-miliband-mb-1308-488db9.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260513-miliband-mb-1308-488db9.jpg\" alt=\"Ed Miliband as leader of the Labour party during a general election campaign in Hastings, England, in 2015.\" height=\"1668\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Ed Miliband as leader of the Labour party during a general election campaign in Hastings, England, in 2015.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Stefan Rousseau \/ PA via AP file<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-1b0957\" class=\"body-graf\">As leader, Miliband was notably ridiculed for his awkward eating of a bacon sandwich. The viral photograph was splashed on front pages of Britain\u2019s tabloids, with some seeing it as dog-whistle antisemitism against the Jewish leader frequently derided as \u201cRed Ed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-43253a\" class=\"body-graf\">In a party eager to win the public back onside, it would be a gamble to reinstall a leader who has already been roundly rejected in an election \u2014 and doing so would likely lead to calls to bring forward the date of the next election, currently expected in 2029.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-a286bc\" class=\"body-heading\">Keir Starmer stays put<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-53d78b\" class=\"body-graf\">Starmer, 63, is Britain\u2019s most unpopular prime minister in modern history, polling shows. Critics, including former ministers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/united-kingdom\/starmer-fighting-political-life-pledges-bring-britain-closer-europe-rcna344495\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">have accused Starmer of being slow<\/a> to push through reforms and unambitious with his agenda for power.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-338b33\" class=\"body-graf\">Britain\u2019s economy is stagnant, with no real wage growth since the global financial crisis of 2008. Reliance on gas means it is more exposed than its neighbors to the global economic shock stemming from the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-cd8be0\" class=\"body-graf\">And yet, with all his main rivals having baggage or hurdles to clear, Labour MPs looking into the abyss of an uncertain contest could well conclude that it is better to stick than to twist.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-82e0f0\" class=\"body-graf\">Gravitational forces work in Starmer\u2019s favor. Party rules make it harder to topple Labour leaders than under the right-wing Conservative Party, who speedily cycled through David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak in the rocky stretch between the 2016 Brexit vote and the 2024 election.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b94ef5\" class=\"body-graf\">In part, that\u2019s because just 15% of Conservative lawmakers needed to submit secret letters of \u201cno confidence\u201d to trigger a leadership contest. Under Labour, 20% of lawmakers must coalesce behind a specific candidate to trigger a contest, rather than merely signal their general disapproval with the status quo.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"styles_inlineImage__FvnTh styles_medium__MEKii\" id=\"anchor-1c26fa\"><picture class=\"styles_image__i32F7\" data-testid=\"picture\" data-flavor=\"fit\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\"><source media=\"(min-width: 1000px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260512-keir-starmer-rs-e8fe8d.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-560w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260512-keir-starmer-rs-e8fe8d.jpg 1x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_avif,q_auto:eco,dpr_2\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260512-keir-starmer-rs-e8fe8d.jpg 2x, https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260512-keir-starmer-rs-e8fe8d.jpg 1x\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2026-05\/260512-keir-starmer-rs-e8fe8d.jpg\" alt=\"Labour's Local Election Campaign Enters Final Days\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\"\/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"caption styles_caption__TCewG\" data-testid=\"caption\"><span class=\"caption__container\" data-testid=\"caption__container\">Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on May 5, prior to the disastrous local elections across Britain.<\/span><span class=\"caption__source\" data-testid=\"caption__source\">Carl Court \/ Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"anchor-a0e896\" class=\"body-graf\">More than 100 Labour MPs earlier this week signed a letter in support of Starmer\u2019s continued leadership. His loyalists say he has provided economic stability, if not prosperity, and has asserted himself on the international stage amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Britain\u2019s markets have appeared shaky as rumors of a contest have swirled, which may give those who favor a more radical approach pause for thought.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-260da0\" class=\"body-graf\">\u201cPeople are worried about current conflicts and looming global crises. They expect their government to lead the country through, as the PM is doing,\u201d Defense Secretary John Healy wrote on X. \u201cMore instability is not in Britain\u2019s interest. Our full focus now must be on dealing with immediate economic &amp; security challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-636b37\" class=\"body-heading\">Someone else<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-d0f353\" class=\"body-graf\">Other candidates have been mooted for the leadership, though they remain outsiders.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7dc955\" class=\"body-graf\">They include Al Carns, 46, a charismatic former soldier and political newcomer who entered Parliament for the first time in 2024 and would be by far the least experienced figure in any contest.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-95d32e\" class=\"body-graf\">Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper or Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood are both often mentioned as possible firm hands who could steer the party, though neither has shown much inclination to enter the fray this time round.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"anchor-de4ab1\" class=\"body-heading\">How a contest would work<\/h2>\n<p id=\"anchor-dd482e\" class=\"body-graf\">Under Britain\u2019s parliamentary system, a leadership challenge is an internal party process. This means it\u2019s governed entirely by the Labour Party\u2019s own rules, and Starmer would remain prime minister while a contest takes place.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-b8da96\" class=\"body-graf\">Under party rules, Labour lawmakers in Parliament have the power to trigger a leadership contest. To do so, 20% of Labour\u2019s 406 MPs would have to coalesce around at least one challenger. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-7c3562\" class=\"body-graf\">Each candidate who wants to enter the race would need to meet the same threshold, though Starmer gets an automatic spot on the ballot paper if a contest is triggered and he chooses to fight on.<\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-ee6764\" class=\"body-graf\">Those who meet that threshold proceed to a vote among paying Labour Party members and members of affiliated trade unions, usually a process that takes several weeks. <\/p>\n<p id=\"anchor-2705f4\" class=\"endmark body-graf\">The winner of that vote is named Labour leader, and becomes prime minister.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/world\/united-kingdom\/keir-starmer-pm-leadership-contest-labour-wes-streeting-resigns-rcna344884\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LONDON \u2014 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks set to face the challenge he dared his mutinous party to produce. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40634,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40632"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40632"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40632\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo4.dedicatedhost247.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}