Starmer
given a lifeline after Streeting challenge fails to materialise
Downing
Street insiders suggest health secretary does not yet have the support for a
leadership push
Pippa
Crerar, Jessica Elgot and Kiran Stacey
Tue 12
May 2026 20.54 BST
Keir
Starmer was increasingly confident that he had seen off the immediate threat to
his job on Tuesday after a challenge from Wes Streeting failed to materialise
despite several of the health secretary’s allies quitting the government.
Downing
Street insiders suggested that the health secretary did not yet have the
required support from the 81 MPs he needed to formally launch a leadership bid
after Starmer issued a “put up or shut up” ultimatum to his cabinet.
Streeting
was due to hold talks with Starmer on Wednesday, at which he was expected to
talk candidly about his concerns, with No 10 insiders suggesting he was
climbing down from intense speculation that he was on the brink of running.
“After
all that, it’s looking like Wes may not have the numbers after all,” one
loyalist cabinet minister told the Guardian. “I’m pleased and furious at the
same time. The best thing for him now is to come out with some dignity and end
the drama.”
Starmer’s
allies also believe he has seen off a threat from the Greater Manchester mayor,
Andy Burnham, for the time being, with one saying: “Andy’s supporters keep
saying he’s got a seat. But where is it? It’s not real unless he has one.”
However,
the prime minister’s fragile authority has been further weakened by the
resignation of four ministers – three of them close allies of Streeting – in
what appeared to be an orchestrated move. More than 90 Labour MPs have called
for him to go.
At a
private meeting on Tuesday, Labour-supporting unions were divided over whether
to call for Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure, with one source
saying there had been a “big fight” among union officials.
However,
they are understood to have agreed to issue a statement saying that Starmer
would not lead the party into the next election, despite GMB and Community
arguing it was not in the best interests of the unions to get involved in any
leadership drama.
“Labour’s
affiliated unions have been clear that Labour cannot continue on its current
path. Whilst we recognise progress has been made … the results at the election
last week were devastating,” a leaked copy of the statement said.
“Labour
is not doing enough to deliver the change that working people voted for at the
general election … It’s clear that the prime minister will not lead Labour into
the next election, and at some stage a plan will have to be put in place for
the election of a new leader.”
Sources
also told the Guardian that Ed Miliband, who has privately suggested to Starmer
that he should consider setting out a timeline for his departure, had been
prepared to run for leader himself if Streeting had gone over the top.
Senior
Labour figures said Miliband, the energy secretary, who allies say saw himself
as kingmaker rather than leadership contender, would have struck a deal with
Angela Rayner and Louise Haigh, chair of the Tribune group, for one of them to
run as the soft-left candidate, in the event Burnham did not. Sources close to
Miliband on Tuesday night, however, denied he is preparing to run for
leadership if Starmer steps down, calling it “mischief making”.
Earlier
on Tuesday, a defiant Starmer told his cabinet he would fight on as prime
minister after a turbulent few days in the wake of crushing election results
across Britain last week, saying the threshold for a leadership challenge had
not been met.
A series
of cabinet ministers, including David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, rallied
round their embattled leader, while more than 110 different backbenchers signed
a letter saying it was not the time for a challenge.
“I take
responsibility for these election results and I take responsibility for
delivering the change we promised,” Starmer told the cabinet meeting. “The past
48 hours have been destabilising for government and that has a real economic
cost for our country and for families. The Labour party has a process for
challenging a leader and that has not been triggered.
“The
country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what
we must do as a cabinet.”
Sources
told the Guardian that Starmer did not give cabinet critics time to respond,
before moving the conversation on to the Middle East.
There was
anger within cabinet ranks over what they regarded as Streeting’s attempts to
destabilise Starmer, after three of his closest allies – the ministers Jess
Phillips, Zubir Ahmed and Alex Davies-Jones – resigned from government and
called on the prime minister to go.
The
health secretary had previously insisted he would not initiate a contest, but
would join one if it was already taking place. “Wes has got a brass neck,” one
minister said. “Some colleagues are furious with him. There were evil looks in
his direction.”
While
several sources close to Streeting suggested he did not have the numbers to
launch a challenge, one ally said it would be premature to say the health
secretary would not be able to do so. “Don’t rule it out yet,” they said.
Miatta
Fahnbulleh, the first minister to resign on Tuesday, is backing Burnham to
replace Starmer. She told the Guardian she wanted the prime minister to set out
a timetable for his departure that would allow the Greater Manchester mayor to
run.
“Any
contest we have had to have our strongest players in it,” she said. “We are not
the Tories, we are only going to do this once. We need to have a proper process
that allows all candidates to set out their vision for the country.”
However,
Burnham’s hopes of returning to Westminster were dealt a blow as the Merseyside
MP Marie Rimmer, whose seat had been named by key allies for a potential
byelection, said she would not stand down and backed Starmer to stay.
Starmer
was hoping that his second king’s speech, which will be delivered by King
Charles on Wednesday, will be a further reset moment for the government that
will help unite his deeply divided party.
While he
appears to have survived for now, even his most loyal ministers acknowledge
that he is unlikely to take Labour into the next election, unless he can
dramatically turn round his and the government’s fortunes.
Downing
Street last night announced four new ministers to replace those who had
resigned, including Natalie Fleet to the Home Office, Nesil Caliskan to
housing, Catherine Atkinson to justice and Preet Kaur Gill to health. Three
more whips were also appointed.
In a sign
of how close to the brink Starmer may have come, his home secretary, Shabana
Mahmood, spent much of the day on resignation watch. Eventually, her
spokesperson told reporters: “No [she will not resign]. She is getting on with
the job.”
Lammy
urged MPs trying to get rid of Starmer to back off. “Let’s just step back, take
a breath, let’s remember that we have the king’s speech, we are in government
to do a job of work,” he said.
“It’s
been 24 hours now and nobody has come forward to put themselves forward in the
processes that exist in the party. No one seems to have the names to stand up
against Keir Starmer.
“And for
those who are suggesting that he should stand down, they should say which
candidate would be better. Let’s get on with the business of running this
country and government.”
The
Guardian understands that Lammy was among four senior cabinet ministers – with
Mahmood, defence secretary John Healey and Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary
– who spoke to Starmer on Monday about his future.
A Labour
leadership election is triggered only if 20% of MPs – in this case 81 –
nominate a specific candidate to stand against the leader. The party’s ruling
NEC would then make arrangements for a full vote of party members.
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