Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, and Wes Streeting, the health secretary, are both said to have the support<\/a> of the 81 Labour MPs needed to trigger a contest. Rayner is considering making a move despite\u00a0the fact she has not been\u00a0cleared by HM Revenue & Customs over her tax affairs.<\/p>\n Miliband is viewed by allies\u00a0as a \u201ckingmaker\u201d to a potential run for the leadership by Andy Burnham<\/a>. Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, is understood to have told supporters in recent days that a backbench MP is willing to stand down as soon as this weekend to facilitate his return to Westminster. <\/p>\n Miliband has ruled himself out as a candidate to succeed Starmer but is increasingly concerned that the prime minister may not survive to fight the next election.<\/p>\n Labour is facing historic election losses as the results are announced over the next two days. It could finish third in Wales, where it has been the dominant party for more than a century, and third in Scotland. It faces losing as many as 1,800 councillors in the local elections in England as it haemorrhages support to Reform UK<\/a>, the Greens and independent candidates.<\/p>\n The aftermath is expected to prompt increasing calls from senior Labour<\/a> figures for a change in leadership and result in some MPs calling for\u00a0an immediate challenge to Starmer.<\/p>\n Miliband was said by colleagues to be \u201cvery down\u201d and privately in despair over the probable scale of Labour\u2019s losses to Reform UK and the Greens.\u00a0<\/p>\n Miliband will join cabinet loyalists in backing Starmer<\/a> this weekend, but he has significant concerns about the risk of Labour descending into a civil war and the damage it would do to the party and the government unless the prime minister sets a timeline for his departure.<\/p>\n Politics newsletter<\/p>\n Get our daily insider\u2019s guide to Westminster, plus a rundown of PMQs every Wednesday.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSign up with one click<\/p>\n He is understood to have raised his concerns during a private discussion with Starmer during which the two men talked about potential options for the aftermath of the elections.<\/p>\n Miliband is supporting a return to Westminster for Burnham as the left-of-centre candidate best positioned to restore Labour\u2019s fortunes. Starmer remains intent on blocking a Burnham comeback and has made clear that he will not set out a timeline for his departure.\u00a0<\/p>\n A source close to Miliband<\/a> said that he was not the \u201cdespairing type\u201d and had been on the campaign trail fighting for votes and supporting the prime minister.<\/p>\n A spokesman for Miliband would not comment on \u201cprivate conversations\u201d but said: \u201cWe do not accept this account.\u201d He did not dispute that the discussion had taken place and declined to say how the accounts differed.<\/p>\n \u201cEd has always supported the prime minister and continues to do so as he delivers on his mandate for change,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n The Times understands that Burnham has told several Labour MPs on Merseyside and in Greater Manchester that a backbencher is willing to resign their seat to facilitate his comeback. Those who have spoken to the mayor said an announcement could be made as soon as Saturday.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marie Rimmer, 79, the MP for St Helens South & Whiston \u2014 close to Burnham\u2019s former constituency of Leigh & Atherton \u2014 is believed by colleagues to be the likeliest candidate. Burnham has dismissed those suggestions as \u201cfiction\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n The mayor has nonetheless emerged as the preferred candidate of powerbrokers on Labour\u2019s soft left, who believe an orderly transition to his leadership over a period of months is the only way to avert a bloody civil war.<\/p>\n Ministers and MPs who support Burnham fear that a leadership challenge from Streeting will trigger a tit-for-tat challenge from Rayner<\/a> and a chaotic exit from No 10 for Starmer. Instead they support backbench efforts to force the prime minister to name a date to depart on his own terms, allowing Burnham time to return to the Commons and succeed without a contest.<\/p>\n![\"Angela](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/4220fcd4-a094-45bb-8476-bc2826d6ddeb.jpg\")
Angela Rayner THOMAS KRYCH\/ANDALOU\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n![\"Andy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/c7a60fa5-f817-4ead-889a-37a1eec27546.jpg\")
Andy Burnham needs to return to Westminster before he can challenge for the leadershipBetty Laura Zapata FOR THE TIMES <\/p>\n![\"Secretary](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/aeb0fa01-e6bb-4105-96b0-e753a59b956b.jpg\")
Miliband and Starmer discuss the government\u2019s warm home plans with householders in Staffordshire last yearCHRISTOPHER FURLONG\/Getty IMAGES<\/p>\n