Keir Starmer may face a challenge to his leadership as the first sitting Labour Prime Minister, following recent election setbacks. While no formal challenge has been issued yet, the resignation of Health Secretary Wes Streeting has put pressure on Starmer, with over 80 MPs publicly calling for his resignation.
Streeting criticized the lack of direction in the government and made it clear to the PM that he is not seen as the leader to take Labour into the next election. Although he has not officially declared his candidacy for the top position, Streeting suggested that a range of candidates, including Andy Burnham, should be allowed to vie for the leadership.
In the event of a leadership contest, it starts with MPs instigating a leadership election by garnering support from at least 81 MPs out of the total 403 in the Labour Party. If a leadership election is triggered, other candidates can join if they also secure 81 backers. Starmer is expected to run for the position, and even if he needed support, more than 110 MPs have indicated their backing for him.
The selection process involves only Labour MPs being eligible to stand, meaning Andy Burnham would need to secure a seat if he decides to contest for the leadership. Once a candidate garners the required support, the National Executive Council (NEC) sets up the voting process for party members, which involves a six-week ballot period.
Candidates need to impress both party members and affiliated trade unions, including Unite the Union, Unison, and GMB, who rank candidates based on preference. Members must have at least six months of membership at the start of a formal leadership contest to qualify for voting.
Voting is conducted using a preferential ballot system, where members rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate secures over 50% of the first preference votes, they win; otherwise, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their supporters’ votes are transferred to their next preferred candidate. This process continues until a candidate receives more than 50% of the total votes cast.
