Starmer-Burnham latest: PM reportedly ‘resigned’ to stepping down as over 100 MPs call for him to quit

Starmer-Burnham latest: PM reportedly ‘resigned’ to stepping down as over 100 MPs call for him to quit Downing Street denied reports that Sir Keir Starmer will set out a timetable for resignation on Monday - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Sir Keir Starmer could set out a timetable for his resignation as early as Monday, according to reports, as pressure builds on the prime minister to step down following Andy Burnham’s by-election victory. The prime minister is spending the weekend considering his future at Chequers before making a final decision but he has reportedly reached the conclusion that he cannot continue as Labour leader. Senior Labour figures believe a “clear statement” on his department could come as early as Monday, The Observer reported. Allies of Sir Keir have also told The Sunday Telegraph that he has realised the “game is up” and he is now planning how to “shore up his legacy”. Sir Keir faces a “hard deadline” of Tuesday morning’s cabinet meeting to step down, insiders told The Independent’s David Maddox. As the Labour leader spent the weekend taking soundings from ministers and MPs, Downing Street denied reports on Saturday night that he is preparing to set a timetable for his departure as early as Monday. A spokesperson pointed to his words of defiance on Friday when he insisted he would fight a challenge. Rachel Reeves 'out as Chancellor' if Burnham takes over Rachel Reeves would lose her job as Chancellor if Andy Burnham takes over as prime minister, The Sunday Times is reporting. According to the paper, the Burnham camp have decided that keeping Ms Reeves in position would not “represent a sufficient change in direction”. Energy secretary Ed Miliband, Wes Streeting, work and pensions secretary Pat McFadden have all been floated as potential replacements, according to the report. Starmer 'ready to resign' as PM, according to reports Sir Keir Starmer has realised that the “game is up” and is preparing to resign, according to a report in The Sunday Telegraph. A senior government figure has told the paper that Sir Keir has realised he cannot cling on as prime minister and is considering how he could “shore up his legacy” before he is replaced. The source said that there had been “quite a bit of movement” among cabinet ministers over whether Sir Keir should stay on, piling pressure on the Labour leader. One government figure said that “something will have happened by the end of the week”, and warned that if Sir Keir did not resign “we could end up in mass resignation territory”. Andy Burnham, who is now an MP after a resounding win in Makerfield, is said to favour a coronation as leader, rather than a contest over who should run the Labour party. Starmer 'expected to resign as early as Monday' - report As the Labour leader spent the weekend taking soundings from ministers and MPs, a Downing Street source denied reports on Saturday night that he is preparing to set a timetable for his departure as early as Monday. The Observer reported that a friend of Sir Keir said he would be arranging “a deliberate slow march in good order, as a matter of duty and dignity” from as early as Monday. But Downing Street denied the claim. The Downing Street source pointed to his words of defiance on Friday when he insisted he would fight a challenge. Starmer given deadline: ‘Quit by Tuesday or face humiliation’ Sir Keir Starmer is facing “a hard deadline” of Tuesday morning’s cabinet meeting to step down, insiders say, after a senior Labour peer said the prime minister had “absolutely no authority” and should go. The Independent has learnt that allies of Andy Burnham are plotting to ensure he is installed as Labour leader quickly, in a coronation rather than a contest. Labour MPs are being called to give their support to the former Greater Manchester mayor, while it is understood that approaches have been made to former health secretary Wes Streeting, urging him to strike a deal and not try to force a contest. Read full report here: Starmer told to ‘quit by Tuesday or face humiliation’ Starmer condemns suspected 'anti-Muslim' attacks in Edinburgh Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the attacks in Edinburgh that have left five people injured, saying the suspect appeared to be motivated by “anti-Muslim hatred”. The Prime Minister posted on X, linking to an image of a bare-chested man carrying a large weapon, saying: “Absolutely appalling. No one should face violence on our streets. “The suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. I will not tolerate this – he will face the full force of the law. “My thoughts are with those who are injured and I thank the police and the emergency services for their response.” Five injured in suspected ‘anti-Muslim’ attack as armed man seen roaming streets I’ve known Andy Burnham for years – here’s everything Westminster gets wrong about him When I interviewed Andy Burnham for The Independent during his 2015 bid for the Labour leadership, he assured me this second attempt would be his last. “There are only so many times you can do it,” he said. “This is the last time.” Like many politicians before him, Burnham would argue that circumstances have now changed. During his nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester, his answer to the leadership question evolved: he would answer the party’s call if it came. That moment has surely arrived, even if Keir Starmer has not yet given up hope of defying political gravity. Andrew Grice reports: I’ve known Andy Burnham for years – Westminster is wrong about him Labour grandee warns against Burnham ‘coronation’ Kate Devlin reports: John Hutton, who served in both Blair and Brown’s cabinets, told The Independent there “shouldn’t be a coronation”. Lord Hutton said ”we need to know what any new leader is actually going to do. Governing from within our own comfort zone would be a disaster - there are hard choices and no easy path to stronger economic growth, better defence, welfare reforms and curbing illegal immigration.” But he said any contest “can’t drag on” and it was “better to get it over with”. “Changing leader will probably prove to be the easy bit,” he added. “Governing more effectively - well, that is going to be just as hard as Keir Starmer found it.” ‘His time has come’: Makerfield voters want Burnham to become prime minister – as long as he doesn’t forget them A statement win in Makerfield has given Andy Burnham a chance to take on Sir Keir Starmer and become prime minister. What do voters now expect from their new MP? Dan Haygarth finds out: “Keir Starmer is lost”, says Terry Miller. It’s a sunny Friday morning in Ashton-in-Makerfield, a market town four miles south of Wigan which has spent the past month as the unlikely epicentre of British politics. This town’s constituency, Makerfield, sent a decisive political message overnight which means that Mr Miller is likely correct - in many ways. “We really feared that if Andy Burnham hadn't won yesterday, then the Labour Party would have gone into meltdown”, the retired health worker adds. “And that would have just fed into Reform.” Makerfield voters want Burnham to become their PM – as long as he doesn’t forget them Former health minister urges Cabinet to tell PM to quit A former health minister who resigned alongside Wes Streeting has called on the Cabinet to urge the prime minister to stand down following the Makerfield by-election. Zubir Ahmed, MP for Glasgow South West, told Sky News that Cabinet ministers had a responsibility to be “as honest and explicit to the prime minister, to his face, as they are privately”. He said: “I haven’t been in touch with any Cabinet ministers myself in the last few days, but that is ultimately one of the responsibilities of cabinet government in our unwritten constitution, that at times like this they do have an authority and a moral imperative to articulate very honestly to the prime minister where things are at.” PM calls for his party to 'pull together' to fight Reform The prime minister said he had not yet directly spoken with Mr Burnham since his victory, but added that he will, and had already sent a message of congratulations to him. In a lunchtime call with Labour staffers, he called for the party to “pull together” in taking the fight to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK and warned against “turning on each other”. Sir Keir Starmer said: “The one thing we’ve got to avoid doing is plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement. “That has never worked. That’s what the last government did. We need to learn that lesson.” Sir Keir is understood to have amassed a war chest to fund his campaign to fight any leadership challenge with the backing of a group of private donors, as first reported by The Times. Fundraising has ramped up in the last two days with total pledges running into six figures, sources said. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments