Why are we even doing this?' The week that left Britain's PM looking like an interim leader

"There is no contest, he interrupted. Moves' mean nothing. People need 81 nominations to stand against the prime minister. The housing secretary, a close ally of Starmer and a founding member of the Labour Together thinktank that catapulted him to power, was right, of course: no one has formally challenged the prime minister, let alone ousted him. But the reality is stark. In one short but tumultuous week, Starmer has shed so much authority that many of his MPs let alone the wider public view him as, in effect, an interim leader, still in office only until the necessary arrangements can be made for a replacement."

"After Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary but seemingly edged away from a leadership challenge, Andy Burnham is seen as the successor apparent. But the Greater Manchester mayor is not yet in parliament and will first have to win a byelection in Makerfield, a constituency on the edge of Wigan where Reform UK is bullish about its chances and where the Greens are also likely to campaign hard. Those around the prime minister insist that not only will he fight on but that it has been utterly bizarre for a party that spent much of its time in opposition on internal battles to do the same less than two years after a landslide election win."

"At several points this week I've felt like I was going mad, said one Labour official loyal to Starmer. Why are we even doing this? You can't go around saying the PM has to leave, and we don't know who will replace him'. It's wildly irresponsible. That was, however, more or less how the week's events began. On Saturday, two days after Labour received a drubbing in elections across England, Scotland and Wales, one of Starmer's lesser-known MPs did her best to light the spark on a contest."

A BBC interview prompted Steve Reed to reject moves to remove Keir Starmer, arguing that formal challenges require 81 nominations and no one has yet mounted one. Despite the lack of formal action, Starmer has reportedly lost so much authority in a short, turbulent week that many MPs and wider public view him as an interim leader pending replacement arrangements. Wes Streeting’s resignation as health secretary did not clearly trigger a leadership bid, while Andy Burnham is seen as a possible successor but is not yet in parliament and must win a byelection in Makerfield. Reform UK and the Greens are expected to contest the seat. Labour figures loyal to Starmer criticize the internal turmoil as irresponsible, especially given the party’s recent landslide win and prior opposition-era infighting.

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