LONDON, United Kingdom (Reuters) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, reeling from a crushing local election defeat, faced a new setback to his leadership on Saturday when a former minister said she would challenge him for the top job if no one else stepped forward.
Starmer’s Labour Party recorded the worst losses of a governing party in municipal polls since 1995, prompting a growing number of his own lawmakers to call on him to quit.
To try to shore up his position in the party earlier on Saturday, he named two influential Labour grandees as advisers, former prime minister Gordon Brown and former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman.
But just hours later, Labour lawmaker Catherine West, a former minister, told BBC Radio that she wanted the cabinet to work out a plan to replace Starmer by Monday, or she would challenge him for the position herself.
“If…there are no leadership hopefuls who come forward tomorrow, then Monday morning I will put my name forward to stand for the Leader of the Labour Party,” she said.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
Leadership challenge would not be straightforward
As the extent of the defeat emerged, more than 20 lawmakers publicly and privately called on Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure. Asked whether he would stand down, he told British media that was not the right thing to do.
“I’m not going to walk away from this,” he said earlier on Saturday.
A number of Cabinet ministers said on Friday that they continued to support Starmer, who just under two years ago led Labour to a landslide national election victory, and an immediate challenge from the potential leadership rivals does not look straightforward.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham does not have the seat in parliament he needs to mount a challenge, and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has yet to fully resolve the tax issues that prompted her resignation from office last year.
Wes Streeting, currently health minister, is, like Starmer, tainted by the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to the United States. Streeting was close to Mandelson, who was sacked over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
‘I will put my name forward to stand for the leader of the Labour party’
Labour MP Catherine West tells #BBCPM that she will begin a leadership election on Monday morning if the cabinet doesn’t elect a leader amongst themselves. pic.twitter.com/dc42ueoU58
— BBC Radio 4 PM (@BBCPM) May 9, 2026
Any candidate wishing to make a challenge would need to secure the public support of 20% of Labour members of parliament. With Labour currently holding 403 seats, that equates to 81 backers.
West said she had 10 names behind her so far but her preferred option was that another candidate put themselves forward.
“I think there are several people who would like to do it who have been planning for months,” she said.
Calling in the old guard as pressure mounts
Aiming to reset his leadership and win back party support, Starmer’s office announced Brown, 75, and Harman, also 75, would join his team.
“They’re vital to how we strengthen our country and take it forward and provide the opportunities that give people that hope for a better future,” he said when asked whether figures from the past could help with his plan for the future to improve people’s lives.
Brown will seek to drive new defense and security investment and hone relations with the European Union, to try to boost economic performance and win back votes, while Harman will focus on tackling misogyny and violence against women and girls, creating economic opportunities.
Which gorgeous bird do you prefer?
THIS MONTH ONLY: Join our reader support group for as little as $6/month and receive an exclusive tote bag featuring one of Israel’s native birds.
Choose between the Duchifat (orange), Israel’s national bird, or the Shaldag (blue), a beloved symbol of the Israeli landscape.
As a member of the Times of Israel Community, you’ll also enjoy:
An ad-free experience of our site and podcasts.
Exclusive access to award-winning films via DocuNation.
Weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
Join ToI Community & claim my bag
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our wartime journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel