Labour Left MPs to Encourage Ed Miliband Leadership Bid
MPs from Labour’s left wing are anticipated to urge Ed Miliband to contemplate a leadership bid in the coming days, as Keir Starmer faces the prospect of a formal challenge from his MPs next week.
Following disappointing election results for Labour on Thursday, former minister Catherine West announced that if no cabinet ministers publicly declared their intention to challenge by Monday, she would initiate a leadership contest to break the deadlock.
It follows a series of Labour backbenchers calling on Saturday for Starmer to resign from Downing Street. The prime minister has reaffirmed his commitment to remain in office, stating on Saturday that a leadership change would "plunge the country into chaos."
A number of Labour MPs from various factions support Andy Burnham as a replacement for Starmer. However, the Greater Manchester mayor would require a time-consuming and uncertain by-election to re-enter Parliament.
Speculation has arisen that Wes Streeting might consider a leadership move next week, although this has been strongly denied by allies of the health secretary, who emphasize his public support for the prime minister on Friday.
With Burnham’s path back to the Commons still unclear, dozens of backbenchers from Labour’s left are preparing to turn to Miliband. This group is expected to encourage the energy secretary to intervene and prevent a Streeting coronation, as they believe Angela Rayner, Starmer’s former deputy, lacks sufficient support.
Labour MPs Weigh Options After Election Defeats
MPs were considering their options a day after Labour’s poor election results, with some backbenchers adding their voices to calls for the prime minister to step down. Developments accelerated when West, a north London MP dismissed by Starmer as a Foreign Office minister last year, told the BBC that if no other challengers emerged, she would ask colleagues on Monday to support her candidacy to initiate a leadership contest.
"My preferred option is for the cabinet to do a reshuffle within itself, where there’s plenty of talent, and for Keir to be given a different role, which he might enjoy, perhaps an international role," West said.
"I don’t have a candidate. That’s part of the problem. But I think there are several people who would like to do it, who have been planning for months, but I’m very surprised that none of them has popped up today to say, ‘I will do it.’"
West stated she had the support of 10 MPs so far, which is well below the required 81 endorsements—20% of the parliamentary party—to back any challenger. However, her move could encourage others to act.
Labour’s Election Losses and Starmer’s Response
Labour lost over 1,400 councillors across England on Thursday, including in traditional heartlands. In Wales, the party lost power for the first time, falling to just nine Senedd seats behind the Welsh Conservatives and Reform UK, while also losing ground elsewhere.
Starmer, who is scheduled to deliver a speech on Monday regarding closer European links, initiated a response on Saturday with two new appointments he described as "future-looking." These appointments involve senior party figures.
Gordon Brown, the former prime minister and long-serving chancellor under Tony Blair, has been appointed as Starmer’s envoy on global finance. His role includes advising on financial partnerships to support defence-related investments, particularly with Europe.
Harriet Harman, Labour’s former deputy leader under Brown, will serve as the prime minister’s adviser on women and girls, focusing on addressing violence and enhancing economic opportunities.
Speaking during a visit to south London earlier in the day, Starmer acknowledged the need to "rebuild" after the losses but affirmed he would not resign:
"I’m not going to walk away from this, that would plunge the country into chaos."
Calls for Starmer to Set Leadership Departure Date
Several Labour MPs have called on Starmer to set a date to relinquish the leadership, including Clive Betts, the long-serving MP for Sheffield South East, and Debbie Abrahams, representing Oldham East and Saddleworth.
Abrahams remarked:
"We have to recognise the dangers that we’re in now, that on this trajectory it doesn’t look good.."
When asked how soon Starmer should consider stepping down, she added:
"I think it is a matter of months."
In a statement, Tony Vaughan, the Labour MP for Folkestone elected in 2024, said there "must be an orderly transition of leadership well before the local elections next year."
Another 2024 intake MP, Terry Jermy, released a statement asserting that Starmer "needs to consider whether he is the right person to take the party and the government forward."
