Labour is facing growing internal unrest as a group of MPs reportedly draw up plans to pressure Sir Keir Starmer into setting out a timetable for his resignation, amid fears of heavy losses in this week’s local elections.
A number of disaffected backbenchers are said to be rallying support for what could amount to an early leadership challenge once polling day has passed, with projections suggesting Labour could lose up to 1,900 council seats, according to The Times.
The anticipated losses — with Reform UK and the Greens both expected to make gains — have triggered mounting concern among MPs elected in 2024, several of whom are understood to be involved in drafting an open letter placing responsibility for any defeat squarely on the Prime Minister.
The letter is also expected to demand that Sir Keir sets out a clear timetable for stepping down, intensifying speculation over the stability of his leadership less than a year into government.
To force a leadership contest, any challenger would require the backing of at least 81 MPs within the Parliamentary Labour Party. While no formal move has yet been launched, the mood among some MPs is reported to be hardening as polling day approaches.
One minister told The Times there was “real anger” in parts of the party over the direction of travel, while others suggested that any serious attempt to remove Sir Keir would ultimately have to be driven by backbench MPs rather than the Cabinet.
Senior figures, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, are both believed to have sufficient support within the party to mount a future challenge, though both are said to be reluctant to initiate any move against the Prime Minister.
One MP backing pressure on the leadership told The Times: “We will be angry and not resigned to getting absolutely f***ed.” They added: “People underestimate our ability to recover when he goes, but we need to do it calmly and properly.”
No serving Cabinet minister is understood to have formally aligned themselves with any rebellion at this stage.
However, tensions are reportedly rising privately, with discussions among MPs increasingly focused on the party’s trajectory since entering government and its performance in traditional heartlands.
Concerns are particularly acute in areas such as the so-called Red Wall, where Labour is projected to face significant challenges in councils including Wakefield, Barnsley and Sunderland, as well as parts of Scotland and Wales where losses could be more severe.
There are also warnings within the party that Labour could fall to third place in some areas, including parts of Wales and Scotland, and potentially lose control of London councils to a range of parties, including the Greens, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Conservatives.
While some MPs are openly discussing possible succession scenarios, others caution that any leadership move would depend heavily on the scale of Thursday’s results — with a historic defeat likely to determine whether internal pressure becomes a full-scale challenge.
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