Starmer faces mutiny as Labour MPs look to defect

Keir Starmer has been warned he could face a full-blown leadership crisis if Andy Burnham does not win the upcoming Makerfield by-election, amid growing fears Labour MPs could defect to the Green Party of England and Wales.

The extraordinary warning came from former safeguarding minister Jess Phillips, who suggested at the Hay Festival that a Burnham defeat could trigger chaos at the heart of Government.

“There will be a change of PM,” she said, despite admitting she knew little about the constituency itself.

Phillips added: “I’ve never been to Wigan in my life, so I have absolutely no idea about the people there, so I shall go and find out. But, yes, I imagine Andy Burnham will win it, and I imagine then that the Prime Minister changes.”

The remarks are likely to pile further pressure on Downing Street ahead of the June 18 contest, which many inside Westminster now see as a major test of Labour unity and Starmer’s grip on power.

According to The Telegraph, senior Labour backbenchers have already held talks with the Greens over possible defections, although discussions have reportedly been paused until after the by-election.

Sources within the Green Party claim several Labour MPs have privately signalled a willingness to cross the floor amid mounting frustration with Starmer’s leadership and the Government’s direction.

Among those linked to potential defections are Clive Lewis and Richard Burgon, both prominent figures on Labour’s Left.

Any move by sitting Labour MPs to defect to the Greens would mark a dramatic escalation in tensions between the party leadership and rebellious backbenchers, particularly over welfare reforms, climate policy and foreign affairs.

Ellie Chowns, the Greens’ Westminster leader, confirmed the party still intends to field a candidate in Makerfield despite speculation over possible tactical arrangements.

The by-election is now being watched closely across Westminster as a possible trigger point for wider unrest inside Labour ranks — with Starmer’s authority coming under increasing scrutiny less than a year after entering Downing Street.

The Herefordshire North MP said: “We are a political party, we exist to stand in every election. In this particular constituency, there is a question, I think, about the extent to which any party might throw the kitchen sink at a campaign.

“We threw the kitchen sink at Gorton and Denton, and we won it. Makerfield is a different kettle of fish.”