Title: Profiles of Potential Successors to Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer’s position as Prime Minister is currently precarious following the resignation of Health Secretary Wes Streeting. While a formal leadership contest has not yet been initiated, Streeting’s associates indicated to the BBC that he intends to challenge Sir Keir for the party leadership by Thursday. This move follows pressure from approximately 90 MPs and several cabinet ministers urging the Prime Minister to step down, either immediately or shortly. Despite this unrest, Labour MPs remain divided on who should succeed Sir Keir. Downing Street has firmly stated that the Prime Minister will contest any leadership bid. Although no other figures have publicly declared their candidacy, several potential contenders have emerged.

Wes Streeting

Streeting has served as Health Secretary since Labour took office in 2024, having previously held the shadow portfolio for three years. First elected to Parliament in 2015, his background includes roles as a London councillor and president of the National Union of Students. In his 2023 memoir, he detailed his upbringing in a council flat in London’s East End, his experiences as a gay Christian, and visits to his grandfather, a bank robber, in prison.

Recognized as the cabinet’s most effective communicator, Streeting highlights the reduction in NHS waiting lists as a key governmental achievement. He has openly expressed leadership ambitions and enjoys significant backing from Labour MPs, particularly those aligned with the party’s center and right-wing factions. His potential candidacy is bolstered by allies in the cabinet, including Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Science Secretary Liz Kendall. However, his positioning as a right-wing candidate may face resistance from party members, who generally lean further left than the parliamentary party.

Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham enjoys robust support among Labour MPs and polls indicate he is the most popular Labour figure among the general public. His political resume includes nearly a decade as Greater Manchester mayor, a tenure that earned him the moniker "the King of the North." Burnham has been transparent about his desire for the premiership.

His primary barrier to entry is his current status as a non-MP. However, with Labour MP Josh Simons resigning his Makersfield seat near Manchester, Burnham can now seek selection as the Labour candidate. He must first be approved by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC). If selected, he can contest the by-election; winning would allow him to return to Parliament and pursue the leadership, provided he secures the signatures of 81 MPs. Burnham previously sought selection for the Gorton and Denton by-election earlier this year but was denied by the NEC.

This would be Burnham’s second period in Westminster. He served as MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017, holding senior positions in the health and culture departments during that time. At 56, he has previously run for party leadership twice: finishing second to Jeremy Corbyn in 2015 and losing to Ed Miliband in 2010. His parliamentary support base lies largely with the left of the party and MPs from the North West. Key allies, such as Deputy Labour Leader Lucy Powell and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, are expected to back him if he re-enters the race.

Angela Rayner

Until last year, Angela Rayner served as Deputy Prime Minister, marking her as the most powerful woman in British politics. Her rise from poverty, having left school at 16 without qualifications, to the highest echelons of power is notable. Her career began in social care, where involvement with the trade union Unison provided the foundation for her political ascent.

Elected as the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester in 2015, Rayner quickly advanced in Westminster, serving in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-15 03:34:33 UTC