Labour MPs step up pressure on Starmer ahead of key internal deadline

A growing number of Labour MPs are urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down, with more than 95 of them publicly calling for him to either resign or set an exit timetable. The pressure follows heavy losses for the party in the May 2026 local elections and a series of resignations from Starmer's cabinet, including former health secretary Wes Streeting.

The movement amounts to what party insiders describe as the largest backbench revolt against a sitting Labour prime minister in recent decades. As of June 20, no formal resignation letter has been delivered to Starmer's office, but the calls have intensified after a June 18 by-election that brought a potential leadership rival into Parliament.

Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, won the Makerfield by-election on June 18, securing a seat in the House of Commons. Burnham is widely viewed inside the party as a leading contender to replace Starmer, and he has been offered a cabinet role by the prime minister in an effort to head off an immediate leadership challenge.

Starmer has said he would contest any leadership vote that is triggered, but the growing number of MPs calling for his departure has pushed the question of his future to the center of internal Labour Party debate.

The immediate focus is on whether more Labour MPs will join the call for a leadership contest before the party's internal deadline, and on whether Burnham will accept the cabinet role or position himself as a challenger.