Wes Streeting has said Sir Keir Starmer should announce when he intends to step down as prime minister if Andy Burnham secures victory in the Makerfield by-election.
The former health secretary argued that the Prime Minister should provide clarity on his future at the earliest opportunity. Streeting also maintained that he already has the backing required from Labour MPs to secure a place on the ballot in any potential leadership contest.
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Starmer has consistently stated that he would stand in any Labour leadership election should one be triggered.
Speaking in London, Streeting said: “When the results are in, I hope the prime minister will at that stage reflect on his own position and set out a timetable.
“I think that would be a better way forward for everyone.”
Wes Streeting Says He Has Required Support For Leadership Bid
Under Labour Party rules, candidates seeking the party leadership must secure nominations from one-fifth of Labour MPs. Based on the party’s current parliamentary numbers, this equates to support from 81 MPs.
Asked whether he had already secured sufficient backing, Streeting said: “Yes I have the support I need to be on the ballot. Yes, I think we will be better served if that is a contest and a battle of ideas, not just of personalities.”
Voters in Makerfield are due to head to the polls on Thursday, with Burnham widely expected to defeat Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon.
Andy Burnham And Keir Starmer Set Out Leadership Positions
Burnham has also indicated that he would enter any Labour leadership race.
Earlier this month, he said: “I think Wes Streeting seems to have launched a leadership contest, so if that is running, I would seek to join it.”
However, speaking at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, Starmer reiterated that he has no intention of stepping aside.
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“If there is a contest, I intend to be in it and to fight it,” the Prime Minister told Times Radio.
He added: “They said it’s not possible to turn the Labour Party around. It’s not possible to win an election.
“It’s not possible if you do win an election to invest in your public services and stabilise the economy – wrong every time, and that’s why I intend not to walk away from this, but to carry on with what I was elected to do, which is to serve this country, bring back the change that people desperately need in their lives.”
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