Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) faces being ousted after May's 2026 elections unless he changes course, a leading Labour left-winger has warned. Former frontbencher Richard Burgon said it was "inevitable" the Prime Minister would be toppled if the elections in Scotland, Wales and large parts of England go badly.
Labour is consistently trailing Nigel Farage's Reform UK in opinion polls, suggesting the elections threaten to be a bloodbath for Starmer's party. The Prime Minister is also facing a challenging week amid fallout from Lord Mandelson's sacking and the state visit of US President Donald Trump.
Calls for leadership change
Burgon, a member of the shadow cabinet under Starmer's predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, said: "Lots of MPs are looking to the elections next May, the opinion polls suggest it's going to be a complete disaster unfortunately." He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think it's inevitable that if May's elections go as people predict, and the opinion polls predict, then I think Starmer will be gone at that time."
The MP added: "It feels like we are years and years into an unpopular government, rather than a year into a government that's just got rid of the Conservatives. We're losing votes to the left, we're going to be losing seats to the right."
Dulwich and West Norwood MP Helen Hayes echoed concerns about leadership if Labour fare badly in the 2026 contests. "If those elections don't go well, then that will be the time to ask questions," she told BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour, referring to "questions about the nature of the leadership".
Government defence and speculation
Skills minister and former home secretary Baroness Jacqui Smith defended Starmer, telling BBC Breakfast: "Richard Burgon has never supported this Prime Minister. He actually had the whip removed from him for a period of time because of his failure to support the Government, so the fact that he now thinks the Prime Minister should go is not actually new news."
There has been speculation within Labour circles that Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham could be manoeuvred into a Westminster seat to present himself as a leadership rival. However, an ally of Burnham rejected suggestions he is laying foundations for a future leadership bid, calling the rumours "pure speculation with no substance".
Mandelson controversy continues
The Prime Minister continues facing questions over when he and Number 10 knew details of emails showing Lord Mandelson sent supportive messages to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein even as he faced jail for sex offences. Smith acknowledged the Government was aware of emails between Mandelson and Epstein on Tuesday last week, before Starmer's public defence of the then ambassador at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
Smith said: "What happened on Tuesday was that media sources came forward to the Foreign Office with extracts from the emails. The Foreign Office asked questions of Peter Mandelson. It was on Wednesday, and in fact not until after Prime Minister's Questions that No 10 and the Prime Minister saw the detail of those emails." Mandelson was sacked on Thursday after Starmer reviewed the email contents.
The Conservatives have written to Starmer asking him to explain the sequence of events leading to Mandelson's sacking and publish related documents. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: "If the PM really believes in accountability, he would stop hiding, face Parliament, publish the Mandelson/Epstein files and tell the truth about what he and his chief of staff (Morgan McSweeney) knew and when."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
