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Labour’s crushing local poll losses have triggered growing unease within the party, with some MPs openly discussing a leadership transition even as Starmer insists he will not quit
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (IMAGE: REUTERS)
Less than two years after leading the Labour Party back to power in Britain, Keir Starmer is facing the most serious political crisis of his premiership so far.
A bruising round of local and regional elections across the United Kingdom has triggered growing calls within Labour for Starmer to step down, or at least set a timetable for his departure. While there is no immediate leadership contest underway, the scale of Labour’s losses has exposed deep anxiety within the governing party about whether Starmer can remain politically viable before the next general election due by 2029.
The pressure has intensified because the elections were widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Starmer’s government and its handling of the economy, immigration and the cost-of-living crisis.
Yet Starmer has made clear he has no intention of resigning. “I’m not going to walk away from the job I was elected to do in July 2024. I’m not going to plunge the country into chaos,” he told The Observer in an interview published Sunday.
He also described his government as a “10-year project” and said he intended to lead Labour into the next general election.
But the political turbulence around him is growing rapidly.
Why Are Calls For Starmer’s Resignation Growing?
The immediate trigger was Labour’s disastrous performance in local elections held across England and Wales.
According to CBS, Labour lost around 1,000 local council seats across England and was removed from power in Wales after governing there for 27 years. Meanwhile, the right-wing populist party Nigel Farage-led Reform UK won nearly 1,300 seats and made major gains in Scotland as well.
The results marked one of the worst local election performances by a governing party in Britain in more than three decades, Reuters reported.
The scale of the setback has rattled Labour lawmakers because Starmer’s government is still relatively new. Labour had ended 14 years of Conservative rule in the 2024 general election, promising economic stability and political reset after years marked by Brexit turmoil, austerity debates, the Covid pandemic and rapid leadership changes inside the Conservative Party.
Instead, Labour now finds itself facing voter anger much sooner than expected.
Education minister Bridget Phillipson admitted the scale of the damage, telling Sky News: “We got a real kicking from the voters, there’s no escaping that.”
Can A British Prime Minister Be Removed Midterm?
Unlike presidential systems, British politics allows governing parties to replace their leader without holding a fresh national election.
That means Labour MPs could theoretically remove Starmer as party leader and replace him with another figure who would automatically become prime minister if Labour still commands a parliamentary majority.
Under Labour Party rules, a formal leadership challenge would require support from 20 per cent of Labour lawmakers in Parliament — currently about 81 MPs.
Reuters reported that roughly 30 Labour MPs have so far publicly voiced opposition to Starmer’s leadership, still well short of the threshold needed to trigger a contest.
But the rebellion is becoming increasingly visible.
Labour lawmaker Clive Betts told the BBC there “has to be a timetable” for Starmer’s departure, while another MP, Tony Vaughan, said there should be an “orderly transition of leadership.”
Former junior minister Catherine West went even further. Reuters reported that she threatened to seek backing from Labour MPs for a leadership challenge unless Starmer’s cabinet acted against him by Monday.
Asked by the BBC whether she could secure enough support, West replied: “We will find out.”
Even so, Labour remains far from an organised coup.
Who Could Replace Starmer If Pressure Builds?
Several names are being discussed within British political circles as possible future contenders, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
But there are complications.
Burnham, often viewed as a prominent figure on Labour’s left wing, is currently not a Member of Parliament, which means he would not be eligible to contest an immediate leadership race.
Meanwhile, some left-wing Labour MPs are warning colleagues not to rush into a destabilising contest.
John McDonnell, who served as Labour’s finance chief under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, suggested that people operating “in the shadows” were trying to exploit concerns about Starmer to force an early leadership battle.
Another Labour MP, Ian Byrne, warned that a rushed contest could be “manipulated into a coronation by a party clique.”
So far, Starmer’s cabinet has publicly stayed loyal despite the electoral setback.
Why Are Voters Turning Against Labour So Quickly?
The economy appears to be at the centre of Labour’s troubles.
When Labour came to power in 2024, the party inherited a sluggish economy, high public frustration over living costs and strained public services after years of Conservative rule.
But Labour has struggled to deliver quick economic relief.
CBS reported that Starmer’s government has faced criticism over rising living pressures, welfare cuts and broader economic stagnation linked partly to the continuing fallout from the Ukraine war and instability involving Iran.
His government has also faced controversies over key appointments, including the decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as Britain’s ambassador to Washington. Mandelson’s past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein triggered criticism from sections of the public and political commentators.
Others argue Labour’s problems go beyond Starmer personally.
Stephen Houghton, the outgoing leader of Barnsley council in northern England — an area where Labour lost heavily to Reform UK — said the political anger had been building for decades in economically neglected communities.
“This has been coming for 30 years around the country, in post-industrial communities, coastal communities, that have been left behind,” he said.
“You can change prime ministers all day long. If you don’t change policy, it’s not going to change.”
How Big Is Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Threat?
One of the biggest shocks from the elections was the rise of Reform UK.
The party, led by Farage, campaigned heavily on anti-immigration and anti-establishment messaging and made major breakthroughs in working-class areas that were historically Labour strongholds.
CBS reported that Reform UK gained support in places such as Sunderland in northern England, while also making gains in former Conservative areas, including Essex.
Farage described the results as a “historic change in British politics” and insisted voters backing Reform UK were not merely casting temporary protest votes.
Although Reform UK currently holds only eight seats in Britain’s 650-member Parliament, its rapid rise is reshaping British politics and creating pressure on both Labour and the Conservatives.
The elections also reflected broader fragmentation in British politics.
Beyond Reform UK, parties such as the Greens and Liberal Democrats also made gains, while nationalist parties continued to dominate Scotland and Wales.
Will Keir Starmer Actually Resign?
For now, there is no indication that Starmer is preparing to step down. In fact, his public messaging suggests the opposite.
Starmer is attempting to project stability and continuity at a time when Labour fears internal chaos could worsen its political troubles. He is expected to outline a “fresh direction” for Britain in a major speech on Monday, ahead of the government’s legislative agenda being presented during the State Opening of Parliament by Charles III later this week.
Still, the political danger for Starmer is real.
British politics has become increasingly volatile over the past decade, with the country cycling rapidly through prime ministers from both major parties. If Starmer were removed soon, Britain would end up with its seventh prime minister in just 10 years.
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