Catherine West Warns Labour Requires Rapid Change as Challenge to Starmer Mounts

Labour MP Catherine West has asserted the party faces a "problem" requiring swift action, as she elaborated on her attempts to trigger a leadership contest against Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The North London MP expressed a preference for a Cabinet member to step forward but confirmed she would consider a challenge herself if no senior figure acted.

West, a former junior minister, stated she would evaluate Sir Keir's planned relaunch speech on Monday. If still "dissatisfied", she intends to solicit support from the Parliamentary Labour Party for a leadership election, emphasising the move is for "working people" and to position Labour against Reform UK.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, speaking on the same programme, acknowledged the party had endured "a real kicking" in Thursday's elections. However, Phillipson cautioned against internal disputes, stressing the need to "tell a better story" and "deliver faster". She affirmed her belief that Sir Keir would lead the party into the next general election.

The Labour Party saw the loss of nearly 1,500 councillors in England, predominantly to Reform UK and the Greens. It also lost power in Wales and secured joint second place in Scotland, where the SNP maintained control. To trigger a leadership contest, 81 Labour MPs, 20% of the parliamentary party, would need to endorse West. She claims to have the backing of 10 MPs currently, with over 30 Labour MPs publicly advocating for Sir Keir's resignation or a departure timetable.

Union leader Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, countered Phillipson's confidence, stating she was "very sure" Sir Keir would not lead Labour into the next general election. Former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries, now aligned with Reform UK, described Sir Keir as an "asset" to her new party, adding that for the country's sake, Labour should change leaders.

Potential challengers to Sir Keir's leadership include Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Burnham's path to a challenge is complicated by his non-MP status, with party rules having blocked his attempt to stand in a by-election earlier this year.

Josh Simons, a former Labour minister and senior figure within Labour Together, the organisation that aided Sir Keir's leadership win, publicly urged the Prime Minister to resign. Writing in The Times, Simons declared, "I do not believe the prime minister can rise to this moment. He has lost the country. He should take control of the situation by overseeing an orderly transition to a new prime minister."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey criticised Sir Keir for refusing to interpret the local election results as a "referendum on him and his failure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis." Davey argued for closer ties with the EU to deliver economic growth, dismissing Sir Keir's plans as "too weak and unambitious" and urging potential Labour leadership candidates to commit to mending relations with Europe.