Angela Rayner Deepens Pressure on Starmer as 81 Labour MPs Could Trigger Leadership Challenge
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Angela Rayner Deepens Pressure on Starmer as 81 Labour MPs Could Trigger Leadership Challenge
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 12
Angela Rayner accused Labour of a “toxic culture of cronyism” and said the party may be on its “last chance,” intensifying pressure on Keir Starmer amid calls for him to set a departure timetable.
Her statement also attacked party bosses for blocking Andy Burnham from contesting a parliamentary by-election this year — a move she called “a mistake.”
That intervention fed speculation Rayner may back Burnham rather than run herself, though Burnham would first need to win a Commons seat because only an MP can lead Labour.
Any challenger would need support from 81 Labour lawmakers — 20% of the parliamentary party — before the contest goes to party members, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting also seen as a potential contender.
With the party establishment reconsidering, can popular mayor Andy Burnham win a parliamentary seat in time to challenge for Labour's leadership?
As Labour's crisis deepens, do the sweeping gains by Reform UK signal the definitive end of Britain's traditional two-party system?