Labour MP Catherine West has warned that she will try to trigger a leadership contest against Prime Minister Keir Starmer if a cabinet minister does not step forward to challenge him by Monday, following heavy election losses for the governing party.
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In an interview with the BBC, West said her preferred outcome would be for senior ministers to reorganise leadership internally and replace Starmer with a stronger communicator, avoiding a full leadership election.
However, the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet said she would seek backing from colleagues if no cabinet figure emerges. Under Labour Party rules, at least 20% of Labour MPs — 81 members — would need to support her move for a leadership contest to begin.
West said she had already secured the support of around 10 MPs willing to back such a bid and expressed confidence that more would come forward.
Pressure after election losses
West’s intervention follows severe setbacks for Labour in recent elections across the UK.
The party lost more than 1,460 seats in English council elections, while the right-wing party Reform UK made significant gains in several former Labour strongholds across northern England and the Midlands.
In London, the Greens took control of councils in Waltham Forest, Lewisham and Hackney — areas that had previously been dominated by Labour — and also won their first elected mayors in Hackney and Lewisham.
Labour also suffered a historic defeat in the Welsh Parliament election, finishing third behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK.
In Scotland, the party endured further losses as the Scottish National Party secured a fifth consecutive term in government.
Despite the results, Starmer has insisted he will not resign, saying he would not “walk away and plunge the country into chaos”.
Cabinet and MPs divided
Some members of Starmer’s government have urged colleagues to avoid further instability.
Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds warned that repeatedly replacing party leaders while in government would undermine the administration’s ability to focus on delivering policy.
Immigration minister Mike Tapp also criticised West’s move, arguing that public disputes within the party only benefit its political opponents.
Others within Labour reacted with surprise. One government minister described West’s move as misguided, while a prominent backbench critic of Starmer called it an “irresponsible solo mission”.
Yet some MPs suggested that dissatisfaction with the prime minister runs deeper than public comments indicate. One Labour MP told the BBC they expected West could reach the required number of supporters by Monday.
Potential successors discussed
West has not named a preferred successor and said part of the problem was that no candidate had yet stepped forward.
She said Starmer had made significant progress rebuilding the party and had handled foreign policy well, but argued he had less control over the domestic agenda and needed to challenge Reform UK more directly.
Several potential leadership contenders have been discussed among Labour figures.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting is viewed by some as a possible candidate, although allies deny he is preparing a bid. Streeting has publicly backed Starmer but said the government must take responsibility for mistakes.
Other figures mentioned include former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who resigned last year amid a tax investigation, and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham. Burnham, however, is not currently a member of parliament, a requirement for Labour leadership candidates.
Attempt to stabilise leadership
In an effort to reinforce his position, Starmer has appointed former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown and former deputy leader Harriet Harman as advisers on global finance and violence against women.
The appointments were met with scepticism from some MPs, who questioned their practical impact.
Starmer is expected to deliver a major speech next week outlining a renewed legislative programme. In a newspaper interview, he also pledged to speak more strongly about closer ties with the European Union while addressing the economic consequences of the conflict involving Iran.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 10 May 2026