Sir Keir Starmer has told the Commons his party will use “Labour values” as its compass as he faces the biggest challenge to his leadership since taking office nearly two years ago.
The prime minister addressed MPs after managing to cling on to power and see off an immediate threat to his leadership in the last few days, despite the resignation of four ministers and at least 86 MPs demanding he stand down.
Following days of chaos after a dire set of local and devolved election results, Starmer has vowed to stay on and see through what he calls his ten-year plan for the country.
Acknowledging tough economic conditions faced by Britons caused by global instability, he told MPs: “Right now across the country, people turn on their television and they see bombs falling, they go to the petrol station and see prices rising, and they’re worried sick about the consequences.“We cannot stand here in this House and pretend that this is new. Britain has been buffeted by crises for decades – the 2008 financial crash, the austerity that followed it, Brexit, Covid, and the war that still rages in Ukraine.“And the response, their response, is always the same, a desperate attempt to get back to a status quo, a status quo that failed working people, decimated their public services, and made them pay the price. Our response this time must and will be different – a complete break.”
Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch return to the House of Commons after listening to the King’s Speech. Credit: PA
Starmer later added: “Faced with challenges, we don’t retreat from our Labour values – we use them as our compass.
His speech came after the King delivered the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday morning to set out the government’s legislative agenda, though it remains uncertain whether Starmer will be in post to see it through.
The prime minister said the King’s Speech sets a “hopeful course” and he criticised those who “feed the frustration with that status quo into a politics of grievance and division”.
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle walks through the Member’s Lobby to the House of Lords to hear the King’s Speech. Credit: PA
More than 100 Labour MPs have signed a letter in support of Starmer. An almost equal number have called for him to go as rumours of a leadership challenge heat up, with Streeting understood to be the first to go over the top. ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston spoke to several allies of Streeting and was told he could step down in preparation for a leadership challenge as soon as Thursday.
In response to reports of a leadership challenge by Streeting, a spokesman for the prime minister said Starmer had “full confidence” in the health secretary. Streeting and the PM sat down for crunch talks in No 10 earlier on Wednesday in talks that lasted just 16 minutes.
When asked about the details of that meeting, the PM’s spokesman said: “I am not going to get into the content of internal meetings, but the prime minister has full confidence in the health secretary.”
He added that Starmer was determined to “deliver the change” that people want.
Speaking ahead of Starmer in the Commons, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told Starmer that he is facing “a crisis of vision, charisma and electoral success”.
She said: “We spent the last session listening to Labour MPs telling us how great everything was going. No doubt we will hear lots of grandstanding speeches this week telling us what a fantastic job they did.“How absurd, given the number of them demanding that the Prime Minister stands down.“We counted, there were 24 U-turns in that first parliamentary session: winter fuel, family farms, grooming gangs, welfare reforms, social media for under 16s, day one workers’ rights, the list goes on and on.“And every single one of these U-turns had at its core a single issue: the Prime Minister’s total lack of judgment. This is a man who, faced with a crisis of vision, charisma and electoral success, sent for Gordon Brown.“Leadership is about having a vision for this country. It’s about having the courage to take difficult decisions, persuading your party that those difficult decisions will pay off in time, and taking responsibility for your mistakes. He has failed on every count.”
Keir Starmer facing down the Commons on Wednesday. Credit: PA
When faced with Labour MPs making noise during her speech in the Commons chamber, Badenoch said: “I know they can’t wait to get back to their plotting.”
She said later: “They want to lead our country, they can’t even lead a coup”.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said votes for the King’s Speech could be a “test of confidence in this government, and this prime minister”.
“This is the 23rd humble address I’ve listened to in this House, and it’s the most surreal by far,” he told the Commons.“Everyone in this House, and everyone in the country, knows this prime minister may soon not be in power, not in place for his own programme, not able to deliver these promises.“The votes on this King’s Speech ought to be interesting – a test of confidence in this government and this prime minister.”
The PM has been fending off challenges to his leadership following a battering at the polls, locally, in Scotland and in Wales.
The health secretary has been seen as the biggest threat to Starmer’s immediate leadership, with his other rivals, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, not an MP, and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner appearing reluctant to throw her hat in the ring.
Just over an hour after Streeting’s short 16-minute visit to No 10, Starmer and his wife Lady Victoria left Downing Street ahead of the King’s Speech.
He did not respond to questions shouted by journalists.
It comes after a tumultuous few days in which numerous ministers and aides resigned, and almost 100 of his MPs called for him to go.
As of Wednesday morning, the immediate threat to Starmer’s leadership appears to have passed, with most of his Cabinet staying publicly loyal and more than 100 backbenchers signing a pledge saying he should stay.
The crisis was triggered after the disastrous results in last week’s local elections, which saw Labour lose over a thousand seats, mostly to Reform and the Greens.
Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham are seen as the other two rivals for leadership. Credit: PA
Although the immediate crisis to Starmer’s leadership may have passed, many are still unhappy with him and are calling for him to quit.
On Wednesday, unions affiliated to the party said “it is clear” the prime minister will not lead Labour into the next election, and at some stage a plan will have to be put in place for the election of a new leader.
Sources close to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, another potential soft-left challenger, have denied reports that he is preparing to run if Streeting triggers a contest.
The prime minister has sought to push on, already having replaced four ministers – including prominent MP Jess Phillips and health minister Zubir Ahmed, an ally of Streeting – who quit the government and called for Starmer to stand down.
In Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Starmer vowed to fight on, and was publicly backed by several ministers at the top of government, including his deputy David Lammy, who urged colleagues to “step back and take a breath”.
Starmer told his Cabinet the country “expects us to get on with governing” and “that is what I am doing”, but avoided being directly challenged as he declined to discuss his leadership during the gathering or meet critics individually afterwards.
He said he would only speak to ministers one-to-one about his fate, but did not do so once Cabinet concluded, according to sources.
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Streeting is not expected to say anything after Wednesday’s meeting that could distract from the King’s Speech.
The SNP say they will try to force a vote on Starmer’s future in an amendment to the King’s Speech.
In what essentially boils down to an unofficial no-confidence vote, new party Westminster leader David Doogan will hope to table the motion before the Commons.
But, on a day when Number 10 already doesn’t want to conflate the King’s business in parliament with the chaos hobbling Starmer’s leadership, the Speaker Lindsay Hoyle may not accept the late motion.
Politico reported that Buckingham Palace had privately told Number 10 that they do not want the King to be dragged into the conversation.
The importance of protecting Charles from the impression that he is being used for political ends was stressed to Starmer’s officials, a person familiar with the matter told the political news outlet.
ITV News understands there has been no suggestion that the opening of Parliament would not go ahead.
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