Keir Starmer is facing mounting pressure to resign after Labour rival Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election on June 18, 2026, with a commanding 54.8% of the vote and a majority of 9,231 over Reform UK’s candidate.
Burnham’s decisive victory—the third-highest by-election turnout since World War II at 58.75%—has triggered an immediate surge in calls for Starmer to step down. According to Sky News, 100 Labour MPs have now publicly called on the prime minister to resign or announce a timetable for his departure, representing roughly a quarter of all Labour MPs and about a third of Labour backbenchers who can speak freely.
The by-election result has intensified pressure from senior cabinet figures. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper have both urged Starmer to set out a timetable to leave Downing Street, the BBC reported. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who had previously called for Starmer to set a resignation timetable after May’s local election losses, has not spoken to the prime minister since Burnham’s victory.
Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, has signaled his intention to challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership. His allies told Sky News he wants to be in position in Downing Street by September and would prefer an orderly transition of power without a contested leadership election. At his victory rally, Burnham said his win “could just be the turning point” for Labour and promised to “lay out a new path for Britain.”
Despite the mounting pressure, Starmer remains defiant. When asked if he would set a timetable for his departure, he told the BBC: “I was elected to serve my country with a mandate that we secured at a general election two years ago.” He added: “If there is a contest, yes I will run. I will stand and I have said repeatedly I am not going to walk away from that.” In a call to Labour staff, he urged the party to “pull together” and avoid “plunging our party and our country into chaos.”
The scale of Burnham’s victory has convinced many Labour MPs that he is the candidate most likely to prevent Reform UK from making further gains. Harriet Harman, the former deputy Labour leader, told Sky News’s Electoral Dysfunction podcast that “the herd isn’t moving; it is stampeding.” One MP who previously backed Starmer told her that he doubted there were “even 30 MPs now who actually believe it’s possible for Keir Starmer to stay.”
Historical Precedent and the Path Forward
Labour has faced leadership upheaval before. In 2007, Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as prime minister after Blair announced his intention to step down, though the transition was not without tension. Brown had agreed in 1994 to stand aside from the leadership contest to allow Blair to run unopposed, in exchange for the premiership later—an arrangement that ultimately held, though relations between the two soured over the years.
For a leadership contest to be triggered, Burnham or any other challenger needs the backing of 81 Labour MPs—a threshold he is widely expected to meet. Under Labour rules, Starmer, as the sitting leader, does not require any MP nominations to appear on the ballot. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, has also indicated he could run but allies of both Burnham and Streeting have suggested they may coordinate to avoid splitting the anti-Starmer vote.
A critical moment for Starmer could come at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, when all senior ministers will gather. Burnham will be formally sworn in as an MP on Monday, making him eligible to stand for the leadership. The prime minister spent Friday phoning cabinet ministers to gauge his level of support, signaling the urgency of the situation.
Sources
- Sky News — Reported that 100 Labour MPs are calling for Starmer to resign; detailed Burnham’s by-election result (54.8%, majority of 9,231); reported that Burnham allies want him in Downing Street by September; provided Harriet Harman’s analysis and MP quotes
- BBC — Reported on cabinet ministers’ calls for Starmer to set a timetable (Heidi Alexander, Yvette Cooper); confirmed Shabana Mahmood’s previous calls for resignation timetable; reported Starmer’s quotes and defiant stance; noted the third-highest by-election turnout since WWII
- Financial Times — Referenced Gordon Brown’s involvement in plots to remove Tony Blair, whom he eventually replaced in June 2007
- Wikipedia (2026 Labour Party leadership crisis) — Confirmed the 2026 Labour leadership crisis emerged amid public dissatisfaction with Starmer’s government
