The deeply unpopular British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is widely expected to resign or lay out a timetable for his departure as early as today, after pressure built steadily over the weekend for him to go.
The Labour leader and his allies have been adamant for weeks that he would fight for his job and stand in any leadership contest, but the government’s tone shifted significantly on Sunday.
Sir Keir’s leadership is on the brink after Labour candidate Andy Burnham’s resounding win in a by-election in Makerfield the North of England.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, who polls consistently declare to be the UK’s most popular politician, had said that if he won in Makerfield he would challenge the PM for the top job.
Andy Burnham is poised to challenge for the top job just days after winning a by-election. (AP: Jon Super)
Polling suggested the by-election would be a close contest against the candidate from the right-wing, anti-immigration Reform UK party, but because Mr Burnham won decisively, many in the Labour camp have come to accept that he would be the better leader to fight off Reform at the next general election.
It is understood that Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander have now told Sir Keir it is time for him to stand down.
Several government insiders have been briefing journalists over the weekend that they also think his position is untenable, but there have been telling on-the-record-comments too.
It was left to the Business Secretary Peter Kyle, one of the prime minister’s most loyal allies, to speak publicly for the government on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program.
When asked by Ms Kuenssberg whether Sir Keir still planned to fight any challenge for his leadership, Mr Kyle said his boss was “making time this weekend to try and reflect on the political challenges that he faces”.
“He’s also taking the time to think through what the political realities are today compared to last week, the week before,” Mr Kyle said.
“But I know that he is a prime minister who always puts country first and that will be framing every decision that he makes today, on behalf of the country, in his day-to-day job as prime minister, but also when he thinks about the party going forward it will always be about what’s in the best interests of the country.”
Donald Trump weighs in
This was a stark change in tone from what the Labour leader said himself on Friday after returning from the G7 meeting in France.
“If there is a [leadership] contest, just to be clear with you, then yes, I will run, I will stand. I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that,” Sir Keir told journalists on Friday.
Adding to the pressure, US President Donald Trump wrote on social media on Sunday that “Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom”.
Mr Trump then repeated his view that the PM had “failed badly” on cutting immigration and boosting North Sea oil output.
Donald Trump weighed in on Sir Keir’s resignation on Truth Social. (Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump)
Number 10 said on Sunday afternoon that the prime minister had not spoken to the US president this weekend.
Sir Keir, 63, spent the weekend at the prime minister’s country estate Chequers with his family, where he was said to be weighing up his political future.
Mr Burnham, 56, also spent the weekend with his family.
Leadership contest or coronation?
Even before Mr Burnham’s by-election win in Makerfield Sir Keir’s leadership was in trouble.
The former Director of Public Prosecutions has been struggling with some of the lowest popularity ratings for any British leader in modern political history.
Whoever replaces Keir Starmer is set to become Britain’s seventh prime minister in 10 years. (Reuters: Toby Shepheard)
Under his leadership, there have been policy backflips, high-profile resignations, questions over expenses, and a cost-of-living crisis.
However, it was the appointment of Labour stalwart and former business secretary Lord Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US, knowing he had links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, that has caused the most controversy.
Sir Keir’s unpopularity was laid bare by Labour’s heavy losses in local elections in May, and polls of party members indicate Mr Burnham, a career politician, would win a formal leadership contest.
Should the new MP for Makerfield take the helm at Downing Street, he would become Britain’s seventh prime minister in the past 10 years.
If Sir Keir stands down, the question would be whether there would then be a leadership contest, or a coronation.
The former health minister Wes Streeting, who resigned from the cabinet because he was dismayed with the PM has said publicly that he would have the numbers to join a contest.
However, over the weekend he was reportedly considering whether accepting a high-profile job in a Burnham cabinet might be a better move for now.
