Keir Starmer is on the brink of resigning, with Andy Burnham poised to deliver a stark ultimatum unless the Prime Minister sets out a timetable for his exit by Tuesday evening, The i Paper has been told.
The Prime Minister spent the weekend at Chequers taking soundings from Cabinet ministers, MPs and union leaders as speculation grew he could announce his resignation as soon as Monday.
Pressure has been mounting on Starmer to make way for Burnham after he won Thursday’s Makerfield by-election with a thumping majority.
But supporters of the Prime Minister – including those who have spoken to him directly – insisted late on Sunday afternoon that no decision had yet been taken about his future.
One ally claimed Starmer had “genuinely not decided.” Another described him as “deliberating,” while a third said he was “reading the room.”
It echoed the line from Downing Street that the Prime Minister remains focused on the job of governing and has repeatedly vowed to fight any leadership challenge against him.
Burnham’s strategy, according to his allies, has been to “do nothing” and give Starmer the space over the weekend to come to the “right decision” and stand down of his own accord – avoiding a bruising leadership contest in favour of an orderly handover.
But that patience will only last so long.
PM ‘has until Tuesday to quit or faces ultimatum’
Those familiar with discussions say the Prime Minister has until Tuesday to move before being issued with an ultimatum.
Should he fail to set out a timetable, he is expected to be presented with a list of names of the ministers prepared to resign – along with a second list of those who would follow in a second wave.
It is the same modus operandi that ultimately forced Boris Johnson from office in 2022, when a cascade of resignations made his position untenable within days.
Burnham will travel down to London on Monday morning and is due to be sworn in as the new Member of Parliament for Makerfield at 2.30pm, formally taking the Commons seat that allows him to mount a leadership challenge. He won the seat with almost 55 per cent of the vote, seeing off Reform UK by more than 9,000 votes, and used his victory speech to declare that “everyone knows that politics isn’t working” and that the result “could be the turning point.”
Starmer, meanwhile, is scheduled to address the Commons at around 3.30pm to update MPs on last week’s G7 summit in France. The overlapping timings could make it logistically difficult for the two men to meet on Monday, potentially delaying the crucial face-to-face conversation that both camps acknowledge must happen – and, with it, any clarity on what comes next. That’s why some MPs are speculating that the soonest that any announcement by the PM can be made is Tuesday.
Burnham’s supporters are understood to be pressing for a coronation rather than a drawn-out contest, with MPs being canvassed to swing behind him quickly.
However, Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, is still saying it is his intention to be a candidate in a contest and that he has the support required.
Streeting’s allies insist he has not done a deal with Burnham – despite the pair meeting and having numerous conversations, including over the last few days.
Labour MPs pushing for Burnham ‘coronation’
Left-wing Labour MP John McDonnell said: “In the interests of the country and the Labour Party a process should be agreed to enable Keir Starmer to stand down with dignity and for a smooth handover to Andy Burnham.
“I view Wes Streeting’s threat of a leadership challenge as a complete distraction and puerile self -promotion deployed to negotiate for a seat in cabinet. Let’s get on with the serious governance of the country seeking to turn round Labour’s fortunes in the face of the threat from Reform.”
A senior Labour source said: “I think broad view of MPs is they just want it to be over, hardly anyone wants Keir Starmer to fight on. Neither is there strong appetite for a leadership contest.”
A Burnham-supporting Labour MP said that they did not know how soon a Burnham coronation could come, but that “the PM would be wise to set out a speedy transition as we need to move to a fresh start as quickly as possible”.
The MP added: “It is vital that the Prime Minister listens to the Cabinet, but most of all the people of our country who want him to move on. The sign of a good leader is knowing when to go, and while the warning has long been sounded, he cannot stay in post any longer.”
The PM has been told to resign by several Cabinet ministers including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and key Burnham ally and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
But not everyone is in favour of an untested takeover. A left-wing Labour MP said: “Starmer should announce he will stand down at a fixed time. Then there should be a contest where we hear different views about the way forward. A coronation might seem a convenient process but it’s not democratic.”
They added they do “not believe it’s in anyone’s interests for Starmer to stand”.
Burnham’s supporters want him to be in Downing Street by September – with a transition period lasting several months so he can prepare his blueprint for power.
However, there are others within the party who think he should take over sooner and use the summer recess to bed in his new Cabinet and refine his policy agenda. There is also the risk that Starmer may not want to stay on amid claims he could resign his seat immediately triggering a by-election.
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