British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not yet faced a formal leadership challenge, but a slow-motion coup within the Labour Party could drag on for weeks, leaving the country in leadership limbo. Many MPs and cabinet ministers are pushing for his resignation, though success is not guaranteed.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch taunted Starmer, saying he is "in office but not in power," echoing Norman Lamont's 1993 jibe at John Major. The Conservatives have historically been more efficient at ousting their leaders, with Margaret Thatcher forced out in 1990 and Theresa May and Boris Johnson facing confidence votes.
Labour's rules for a leadership challenge are more cumbersome: 20% of MPs must endorse a challenger, triggering a vote by the entire party membership. This allowed Jeremy Corbyn to survive a massive MP rebellion in 2016, winning a membership vote decisively. The current crisis was sparked by Labour's disastrous local election results on May 7, losing 1,498 council seats mainly to Reform and the Greens.
At least three cabinet ministers, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, have privately urged Starmer to set a departure timetable. Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned on May 14, stating he would contest any leadership election but stopping short of a formal challenge.
The most likely successor is Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, dubbed the "King of the North." He is not yet an MP but is seeking to return via a by-election in Makerfield, expected on June 18. Burnham is the most popular figure among Labour voters, with a net favourability of +4 compared to Starmer's -46.
The by-election is highly uncertain: Reform leader Nigel Farage has vowed to "throw absolutely everything" at the seat, and the Greens have refused to stand aside. If Burnham wins, he is virtually certain to become prime minister. If he loses, the leadership contest could descend into chaos, with Streeting and former deputy PM Angela Rayner likely to stand.
ITV News political editor Robert Peston wrote that Starmer's authority has ebbed away, making him a "lame duck prime minister" whose policy statements are barely heard amid speculation about his exit. The timing and manner of his departure are now at the mercy of events.
Source: www.aljazeera.com