Catherine West Challenges Keir Starmer's Labour Leadership After Election Losses
Labour MP Catherine West has set a Monday deadline for a Cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer's leadership, vowing to initiate a leadership contest herself if no one steps forward. West stated her preference for the Cabinet to select a "best communicator" to replace Starmer, thereby avoiding a formal election, following Labour's recent electoral setbacks across England, Wales, and Scotland.
West, a former junior Foreign Office minister, claims to have the backing of 10 MPs, expressing confidence that she can secure the 81 MPs (20% of the parliamentary party) required to trigger a leadership challenge. She suggested a new, perhaps international, role for Starmer, allowing a new leader to "communicate the message" with "minimum fuss."
Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has cautioned against such a move, citing the instability caused by frequent leadership changes. Starmer, for his part, has stated he will not "walk away and plunge the country into chaos," despite Labour losing over 1,460 seats in English council elections, and suffering significant losses in the Welsh Senedd and Scottish Parliament, where Reform UK made notable gains.
Around 30 Labour MPs have publicly called for a change of leadership or a timeline for Starmer's departure. West did not name a preferred candidate, but her intervention has been met with surprise and criticism from some within the party, with one minister reportedly calling her "mad."
In an apparent effort to solidify his position, Starmer appointed former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former deputy leader Harriet Harman as advisers on global finance and tackling violence against women, respectively. This move has also drawn scepticism from some Labour MPs, who questioned the relevance of these appointments. Starmer is expected to deliver a major speech and unveil new legislative plans next week to reset his premiership, acknowledging "unnecessary mistakes" and a lack of "hope" in the government's first two years.
