Who could challenge Keir Starmer for the UK PM’s job? Meet the candidates

Key Points:

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to resign following Labour’s poor performance in recent local elections, where the party lost over 1,460 council seats, many to the rising Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage.
• Starmer insists he remains the right leader to deliver change, describing his government as a “10-year project” and taking responsibility for electoral promises despite widespread criticism over issues like immigration and controversial appointments.
• Labour’s internal discontent has grown, with potential leadership challengers including former deputy Angela Rayner and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, both seen as credible candidates by party members and analysts.
• Other figures such as MP Catherine West have threatened to trigger a leadership contest but later withdrew, while Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham remains a popular public choice but is currently ineligible to run without a parliamentary seat.
• Starmer's approval ratings are among the lowest for Western leaders, with half of the British electorate believing he should step down and two-thirds doubting his chances of reelection before the next general election in 2029.