'I'm not going to walk away,' insists Starmer as PM vows to 'fight the next election'

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The Prime Minister refused to set out a transition timetable on Monday amid mounting pressure, with growing suggestions that he could face Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting in any potential future leadership battle.

Asked if his time as prime minister had effectively come to an end, Starmer said: "No, we've got a lot of work to do.

"I'm very focused on what I consider to be my responsibility, my duty, and that is to the country."

It comes after the prime minister backed Labour’s Makerfield by-election candidate “100%” despite leadership hopeful Andy Burnham priming himself to stand in the race.

The PM vowed to support the contender “whoever they are” to see off the threat from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK as he met staff at party headquarters on Monday morning.

Read more: ‘There is no contest’: Lammy insists there is 'no timetable' for Starmer to resign as leadership battle sees EU row reignited

Read more: 'I'll be standing:' Streeting confirms he will enter Labour leadership contest to replace Starmer

Asked whether he was prepared to fight any leadership challenge, the PM insisted: "Well, we're not at that position. But I've said, I don't know how many times, that I'm not going to walk away.

"I feel very strongly that I must serve the people who voted me into office," Starmer continued.

But when pushed on whether he would set out a timetable for his departure should Mr Burnham win the Makerfield by-election next month, Starmer replied: "No, I'm not going to do that."

Labour is facing the unprecedented prospect of campaigning on behalf of the Greater Manchester Mayor, whose Commons bid is a direct stepping stone towards a tilt for the leadership.

In a campaign video posted on X today, Mr Burnham said he's ready to accept the consequences of the decision people make in the by-election as he walked around Makerfield speaking to locals.

Taking aim at Sir Keir in the four-minute video, he said Westminster "doesn't work for people in this part of the world and for communities like this across the UK", adding that the by-election "is the most consequential of our lives".

"I went into politics to fight for ordinary people", he said.

But speaking to LBC's Tonight with Andrew Marr on Monday, Labour MP Alex Sobel suggested that Mr Burnham may not necessarily challenge Starmer for the leadership despite being favourite to replace him.

"That is not my expectation. I expect that he would come back and potentially serve in the government, try and help us turn this government round," he told Andrew.

The MP added: "And if then that didn't work, or somebody else, and I think that maybe somebody else is intending to trigger an eligible election, triggered one, then that's a different scenario."

The leadership drama comes after a week of turmoil following the May elections, with Sir Keir noting that he was focussed on delivering for the public who wanted the government to “get the job done” after the results of local and devolved polls earlier this month showed that voters were “frustrated” with the pace of change.

“I am focused on the job that I was asked to do, which is to serve my country and to carry out my duties as Prime Minister of this country,” Starmer told staffers following the prospect of a by-election.

“Delivering for the very many people who voted us into office, who are saying: ‘Just get on with it, get on with the job, get on with the change that I need to see in my life.'”

He added: “We now have an important by-election coming up. It is Labour versus Reform. We will know very shortly who the candidate is.

“Whoever they are I am going to support them 100% and I want every member, everyone in our movement to support them. A Labour candidate to beat Reform. That is the fight that we are in.”

Sir Keir is said to be privately considering whether he will defend his leadership if a contest were launched, despite having publicly vowed to stand against any challengers.

Earlier on Monday, one of his most loyal Cabinet allies insisted he would fight on without setting out a timetable for his departure and urged Labour to “stop the own goals” after a week of internal strife.

In a stark warning to colleagues, the Prime Minister’s deputy, David Lammy, said the ruling party would lose the next general election if the “internecine warfare” of the last 10 days continued.

Speaking to broadcasters, Mr Lammy said he would also be campaigning for the mayor in the Makerfield by-election, which Mr Burnham will need to contest and win to mount a challenge for No 10.

But he added: “Let me be really clear, Keir Starmer remains the most resilient person I know in my life.

“I spoke to him twice yesterday. He has a strength of character, a fighting experience. There will be no timetables. What there is is getting on with the business of Government.”

The Deputy Prime Minister said Labour had scored a “spectacular own goal” in the 10 days after a local election mauling that prompted mounting calls for the Prime Minister’s resignation.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy appeared to veer away from the Government line that Sir Keir would stand against his rivals as she spoke to broadcasters on Sunday, describing the move as “a very personal decision for him”.

Asked about her comments on Monday, Mr Lammy also declined to confirm the Prime Minister would run in any contest but insisted he had been “crystal clear he fights on”.

“He has my full support,” Mr Lammy said.

The senior minister, who is also Justice Secretary, repeatedly refused to be drawn on whether he favoured rejoining the EU after a battle over reversing Brexit was ignited among the rivals vying to oust Sir Keir as Prime Minister.

Mr Lammy, who has previously suggested there would be economic benefits of returning to the customs union, insisted he was bound by Cabinet collective responsibility and the Government remained “absolutely committed” to its Brexit red lines.

Wes Streeting, who resigned as health secretary last week, signalled he wanted to see Britain return to the EU as he announced on Saturday he would stand in any Labour leadership contest.

Supporters of Mr Burnham are reportedly furious with the ex-minister as they believe it is a deliberate attempt to undermine the mayor’s campaign in the Leave-voting constituency of Makerfield, which would play into the hands of Reform UK, which will closely contest the seat.

Labour MP Jonathan Hinder said on Monday it was a “staggering level of out of touch” to think the party should reopen the debate on Brexit.

He said the party was in “an existential crisis” and had taken a beating in its working-class heartlands from Reform UK, which “until recently was called the Brexit Party”.

Mr Burnham sought to play down his own support for rejoining the trade bloc as he took part in a media blitz over the weekend, arguing there was a “long-term case” for advocating to return but insisting he was not campaigning on that issue.

Reform UK, which is the second-placed party in Makerfield, plans to make hay out of Mr Burnham’s previous support for rejoining the EU as it knocks on doors in the constituency.

Sir Keir’s Labour Government has promised not to rejoin the customs union, single market or return to freedom of movement.

On Monday, Josh Simons, who announced last week he wanted the mayor to stand in his Makerfield seat, officially vacated the Commons by being made Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern under the archaic procedure required to quit as an MP.

Applications for Labour’s Makerfield candidacy close on Monday and the party’s ruling National Executive Committee will endorse a candidate on Thursday.