UK PM Starmer is saying:
- Has made it clear to allies that he will stand and fight if Wes Streeting to succeed in triggering a leadership contest.
Starmer and Streeting met this morning in what was dubbed “showdown,” though Streeting spent less than 20 minutes in Downing Street. The meeting lasted just 16 minutes, and when asked about it, the PM’s spokesman declined to reveal details, stating only that “the prime minister has full confidence in the health secretary.” According to The Times, Streeting was expected to discuss the “turbulence” gripping the party and how Starmer would “get us out of this mess.”
The meeting comes after Labour descended into open division over the prime minister’s future, with four ministers resigning and at least 80 MPs urging him to quit, while more than 100 others warned against a leadership contest. Among those who resigned are prominent MP Jess Phillips, who said she was tired of seeing “opportunities for progress stalled and delayed,” and Zubir Ahmed, a Streeting ally.
On whether Streeting will trigger a leadership contest, the situation is on a knife-edge. The Times reported that Streeting plans to resign as early as Thursday to make a bid for the leadership, with an ally quoted as saying “He is going for it. He’s going tomorrow,” though there was no immediate statement from Streeting’s office.
Countering that, a Starmer ally, Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, said no candidate appeared to have the backing of enough MPs to trigger a challenge, and that it did not look likely, urging colleagues to “move on.” The SNP have also said they will try to force a vote on Starmer’s future via an amendment to the King’s Speech, which would essentially function as an unofficial no-confidence vote. The next 24–48 hours look decisive.
A Labour leadership contest can only be triggered in one of two ways — either Starmer resigns voluntarily, or a challenger secures nominations from 20% of Labour MPs. With Labour holding around 405 seats, that threshold currently sits at 81 MPs
