Sir Keir Starmer is facing claims that a concerted effort to force him from office began as long as a year ago, as Labour’s deepening internal crisis spills into open warfare following catastrophic local election losses.
Senior party figures are now openly manoeuvring for position amid mounting expectations that the Prime Minister’s authority is nearing collapse, with allies reportedly discussing the timing and manner of his departure from Downing Street.
At the centre of the claims is Andy Burnham, who is said to have held discussions last summer with former science minister Josh Simons about the future of the party and the viability of Sir Keir’s leadership.
According to Labour sources cited by The Sun on Sunday, Mr Simons had concluded months ago that the Prime Minister’s position was untenable and viewed Mr Burnham as the figure best placed to rebuild Labour’s fortunes.
One Labour MP claimed: “He was talking about breaking with Keir last summer. He said the PM was finished and that the next leader had to be Andy Burnham. This resignation has actually been a long time in the making.”
The allegations will fuel growing perceptions within Westminster that the crisis engulfing Labour did not emerge overnight but has instead been quietly building beneath the surface for months as ministers, MPs and union figures have lost confidence in Sir Keir’s political direction.
The Prime Minister suffered a devastating blow after Labour’s bruising local election performance, which triggered panic among MPs fearful that the party is haemorrhaging support to Nigel Farage and Reform UK.
Although Sir Keir publicly insisted he would continue fighting on, reports now suggest Downing Street is preparing the ground for a managed resignation designed to preserve what remains of his authority.
A Cabinet ally told The Mail on Sunday: “Keir understands the political reality. He realises the current chaos is unsustainable. He simply wants to do it in a dignified way and in a manner of his own choosing.”
The source added that the Prime Minister is determined not to wait for the outcome of the forthcoming Makerfield by-election, amid fears that a victory for Mr Burnham would be interpreted as a direct repudiation of his leadership.
Labour’s National Executive Committee confirmed on Sunday that Mr Burnham had been granted permission to enter the candidate selection process for the seat, a move immediately interpreted by Westminster insiders as a potentially decisive moment in the succession battle.
A Labour spokesman said: “Labour’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, has today given permission to Andy Burnham to stand in the candidate selection process in the forthcoming by-election for the Makerfield constituency.”
Meanwhile, Wes Streeting became the first senior figure to effectively declare his interest in the leadership, promising a “proper contest” to determine Labour’s future direction.
Speaking at a Progress think-tank event in London, Mr Streeting warned Labour risked becoming “the handmaidens of Nigel Farage and the breakup of the United Kingdom” unless it fundamentally changed course.
The Health Secretary has long been viewed by Labour MPs as one of the most ambitious figures in Cabinet and has repeatedly been linked to internal dissatisfaction with Sir Keir’s leadership.
Other names circulating among MPs and party strategists include Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband and Al Carns.
The growing instability threatens to plunge Labour into a bruising ideological and personal struggle at precisely the moment the Government is attempting to steady public confidence after months of political turbulence.
For many Labour MPs, however, the central fear is no longer merely Sir Keir’s leadership — but whether the party can prevent Mr Farage from turning Britain’s political landscape upside down before the next general election.
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