London: Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing Labour leadership pressure following heavy losses in local elections, as backbencher Catherine West threatened a stalking horse challenge and Andy Burnham positions for a return to Parliament.
West, MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet, said she would stand if no senior Cabinet minister launched a leadership bid by Monday, aiming to trigger a formal contest with 81 signatures, representing 20 per cent of the parliamentary party.
The Prime Minister recently appointed Gordon Brown as Special Envoy on Global Finance and Harriet Harman as Adviser on Women and Girls, a move criticised by veteran MP Graham Stringer as a “parody of politics from 16 years ago.” Other Labour figures described the appointments as ineffective or symptomatic of a “zombie government.”
Supporters of Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, say he is planning to contest a North West seat to return to the Commons and mount a leadership challenge. Polling shows him with a positive approval rating, while Starmer and other senior figures remain under scrutiny.
Cabinet members, including Yvette Cooper, Lisa Nandy, Ed Miliband, and Shabana Mahmood, issued lukewarm post-election statements, acknowledging losses without explicitly endorsing Starmer, highlighting internal discontent within the party.
All eyes are on Starmer’s “reset” speech on Monday, which could spark a formal leadership challenge.
