Who could challenge Starmer? The contenders vying for 10 Downing Street
Labour MPs suggest they could support rivals to Sir Keir after speech on Monday
Former foreign office minister Catherine West has said she will launch a bid to challenge Sir Keir for the Labour leadership if she is still “dissatisfied” after his speech.
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The MP has spoken to add to the pressure on Sir Keir, who is giving a speech this morning following a poor showing for his party in last week's local elections.
Labour lost more than 1,400 seats in Thursday's contest, more than half of those it was defending in these elections, and lost 37 councils.
Sir Keir said that the results were "tough" but has vowed to continue, although he might not have the support of all of those within his party.
Ms West has suggested that she would back another candidate, but will not stand herself. Labour MP and former parliamentary private secretary to former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, Navendu Mishra, said the PM should set out a timetable for an “orderly transition” to give leadership hopefuls time to come forward.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Mishra said such a move would allow the “best people” in the Labour Party time to “put forward their vision”.
However, another senior Labour MP has warned his colleagues against triggering a leadership contest to unseat Sir Keir. In a statement shared with the Press Association, Nick Smith, the MP for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, told his colleagues: “Be careful what you ask for.”
In a rare public intervention, the influential backbencher added: “In their Government years the Conservative Party tore itself apart with leadership battles and our country suffered. Do we want to copy that?
“The world is going through a crisis with the Iranian blockade and war in Ukraine. This has knocked our domestic economy sideways. We need calm heads to get us through this.
“The Prime Minister has the right credentials to get us through these extraordinary times. We do need to reflect on the terrible results of last week, but we also need to unite.”
Whether or not they take his advice remains to be seen, but here are the names in the frame to challenge Sir Keir Starmer.
Which Labour members could challenge Sir Keir Starmer?
Andy Burnham
Mr Burnham has long been tipped to run for Labour leadership, but will not be able to currently, as he is not an MP.
The Greater Manchester Mayor had been touted as a potential party candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election as a means of getting him back into the Commons, but this will not happen.
He could still be one for the future, though, having launched Mainstream - a group set up to promote more socialist ideals in the party.
A backer said: "He [Mr Burnham] really does represent what the Labour Party is about. He's not only demonstrated that across Manchester but the leadership he does give on many issues, I think that's the kind of leadership we need at this time.”
Wes Streeting
The health secretary has already once been forced to rule out a leadership bid, but has continued to voice some frustration at the government.
He told Nick Ferrari: “I think it is a challenge to all of us, because all of us in Government and in the Cabinet in particular, have a responsibility to get the Government’s message across, and sometimes, I think what we’re guilty of is coming on and listing a whole load of stuff we’ve done."
Mr Streeting, the Ilford MP, has admitted deleting social media posts praising Lord Mandelson and has backed Sir Keir over his handling of the situation.
In another call to Nick, he added: “I don't need a copy of the Ministerial Code in front of me, and I don't need a copy of the Law of the Land in front of me to know that what Peter Mandelson did was outrageous.”
Angela Rayner
Ms Rayner was deputy prime minister from when Sir Keir took office until the end of last summer, when she departed after a scandal around her unpaid stamp duty on her flat.
The Daily Mail has reported that the MP for Ashton-under-Lyme has amassed a £1 million war chest to fight a leadership campaign.
She has already broken from the Government to demand that files related to Lord Mandelson's vetting be released to Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.
But it is thought that the 45-year-old would wait until Sir Keir resigns before mounting a leadership bid.
Shabana Mahmood
The Birmingham Ladywood MP has done well under Sir Keir and was made justice secretary and Lord Chancellor after the election and was then made home secretary in September after a reshuffle.
Ms Mahmood would be the first female Labour leader and first Islamic PM if she was elected.
When asked about her ambitions at a Labour Party Conference, Ms Mahmood said: “You shouldn’t believe anyone in politics who says they’re not ambitious about the top job because they’re basically lying to you.”