Catherine West backs down from leadership challenge but calls on Starmer to go by September
West will not launch her own challenge and will instead seek Labour MPs’ backing for Starmer to set a resignation timetable after the local election losses.
- Labour MP Catherine West began canvassing colleagues yesterday to support a timetable for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation, abandoning her own leadership bid after deeming his reset speech insufficient.
- West concluded Starmer's speech offered "the renewed energy and ideas" but was "too little too late" after local election results failed to inspire confidence in the current political direction.
- Speaking to BBC Radio, West suggested a cabinet reshuffle where Starmer assumes an international role, arguing the party needs "more of a street fighter" because voters have stopped listening.
- West has no specific successor in mind, keeping the process open and allowing MPs time to consult their Constituency Labour Party as she works to "get the ball rolling."
- The effort aims to secure an "orderly transition" with West testing the temperature of the PLP, though she insists her role was limited to initiating discussion rather than determining outcomes.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Keir Starmer fails to calm bond market nerves over leadership challenge as Britain's borrowing costs rise
Political turmoil inside Labour spilt into financial markets on Monday, with gilt yields rising after Sir Keir Starmer failed to calm bond‑market fears over a potential leadership challenge.UK Government borrowing costs climbed as investors reacted to intensifying speculation over Starmer’s future. The yield on 10‑year gilts rose 0.05 percentage points to 4.97 per cent, while 30‑year yields increased by more than five basis points to 5.64 per ce…
Catherine West, with other Labour MPs, wants to see the Prime Minister replaced in September. She refrains from a threatened vote on Starmer.
Catherine West Drives Leadership Challenge Against Keir Starmer
Former British junior minister Catherine West is urging Labour lawmakers to support a timetable for Prime Minister Keir Starmer's departure in a leadership contest. While West appreciated Starmer's recent speech, she found it insufficient, advocating for an orderly leadership transition for the party's and country's benefit.
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