Keir Starmer is facing the growing likelihood of a leadership challenge after Health Secretary Wes Streeting finally resigned from the UK government.
After days of speculation over whether Mr Streeting would take on the weakened British Prime Minister, the 43-year-old cabinet minister finally announced his departure.
However, amid uncertainty that he would get the backing of the 81 Labour MPs needed to trigger a challenge, the East London politician did not explicitly state that he would stand against Mr Starmer.
His most likely rivals, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, are yet to reveal their hands.
In a letter posted on X, Mr Streeting said it would be “dishonourable and unprincipled” for him to stay on as health secretary after he had told Mr Starmer earlier this week that he had lost confidence in his leadership.
Labour’s disastrous polling in last week’s local elections, largely due to Mr Starmer’s unpopularity, has proven to be the trigger that could unseat him.
While Mr Streeting praised Mr Starmer’s landslide victory in the 2024 election, and his “courage and statesmanship on the world stage – not least in keeping Britain out of the war in Iran”, he then stated that “where we need vision, we have a vacuum, where we need direction, we have drift”.
He concluded by stating that it was “clear” Mr Starmer would not lead Labour into the next general election, scheduled for 2029.
However, Mr Streeting did not say he would be making a leadership challenge. The latest polling by the Labour List website shows that Mr Starmer would beat his former cabinet colleague by 53 per cent to 23 per cent in a head-to-head contest.
That scenario is unlikely, as Labour candidates from the left of the party would come forward to stand.
Foremost will be former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, who, with exquisite timing, announced that the tax investigation against her had been concluded, with her repaying £40,000 in unpaid taxes and no penalty.
She is understood to be a reluctant contender but would want to represent the left wing of the party, whereas Mr Streeting is positioned on the Blairite right.
All now hangs on the most popular potential leader, Andy Burnham, the Manchester mayor, who needs to find an MP with a safe seat willing to sacrifice their place in the Commons. However, given the surge in support for the left-wing Green party in Labour areas, which is also attracting a large share of the Muslim vote, this could prove a challenge.
This could then lead to Energy Secretary and former party leader Ed Miliband stepping forward as the representative of the left.
An outside contender is the Royal Marines veteran and current Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who is attracting some support within the party but has only been in politics for two years.
The Labour List polling showed that Mr Starmer would be defeated by Andy Burnham in a head-to-head poll, 61 per cent to 28 per cent.
Ms Rayner and Mr Miliband would also beat Mr Starmer. Polling showed support for Ms Rayner at 45 per cent compared with 41 per cent for Mr Starmer, and for Mr Miliband at 36 per cent compared with 39 per cent for Mr Starmer.
The resignation came after Mr Starmer had spent the morning in Parliament bolstering his position by holding one-to-one meetings with MPs.
It is now a question of whether he fights on or, as is being speculated, bows to pressure from cabinet colleagues and agrees to a managed and timetabled exit.
