London, May 13, 2026, 13:04 BST
Pressure piled on British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday, with The Times reporting that Health Secretary Wes Streeting was gearing up to resign and possibly mount a formal Labour leadership challenge as soon as Thursday. Streeting’s spokesman told reporters he was sticking to his health portfolio and didn’t want to draw attention away from the King’s Speech. His office declined to comment.
Starmer’s timing is significant. He’d planned to use the King’s Speech—the monarch’s formal reading of the government’s agenda—to signal he was still in control after Labour’s tough losses in local and regional elections. But now, with Streeting possibly making a move, Labour could be looking at a leadership race if he gets support from 81 Labour MPs, according to Reuters.
It’s not just fringe grumbling anymore. Over 90 Labour MPs are now urging Starmer to resign or lay out his exit plans, while Labour-linked unions are warning the party can’t keep heading in this direction, according to the Guardian.
Streeting’s meeting with Starmer at Downing Street wrapped up in under 20 minutes. Afterward, he slipped out, skipping the press. His later post focused on health policy—“Lots done, lots to do”—without referencing any leadership bid. AP News
Starmer is moving to legislate, aiming to reset the agenda. According to the government, the King’s Speech will introduce over 35 bills and draft bills, spanning economic, energy, and national security issues, plus immigration, schools, the NHS, and courts. “Voters expect us to get on with the job of changing our country for the better,” Starmer said. Gov
The European Partnership Bill sits at the heart of the plan, aiming to put in place both existing and upcoming agreements with the European Union. According to the government, parliament will retain its voice before any EU law is adopted in the UK. Starmer, for his part, stuck to his boundaries—no return to the EU single market, no customs union, and no revival of freedom of movement.
The risk is hard to miss: a leadership battle could derail the programme before it even gets moving. UK equities trailed their European counterparts. Analysts flagged that investors were already factoring in the political uncertainty; “Starmer’s defenestration seems to be a matter of when rather than if,” said Robert Wood of Pantheon Macroeconomics. Ruth Gregory at Capital Economics added that any successor “would probably not be as fiscally disciplined.” Reuters
It started with the vote. Labour slipped in districts throughout Britain as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK captured over 1,000 council seats in England. The Greens chipped away too, drawing support from both leading parties—amplifying the sense that the traditional Labour-Conservative grip is loosening.
The Biden parallel is stark, but only goes so far. Joe Biden quit the 2024 U.S. presidential race on July 21, bowing out after a bruising debate against Donald Trump and mounting Democratic criticism. Starmer’s troubles are a different kind: can a prime minister hold onto his grip over a fractious parliamentary party after losing elections and seeing ministers walk away?
It’s not just Streeting being mentioned. Names like Wes Streeting, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, former deputy PM Angela Rayner, and Ed Miliband have surfaced as potential contenders. Burnham doesn’t currently have a seat in parliament, and Miliband, for his part, has denied he’s putting together a run, ABC reported.
Pressure is mounting from the opposition. The Scottish National Party plans to push for a vote on Starmer’s leadership by attaching an amendment to the King’s Speech. “The leadership circus can’t go on any longer,” Westminster leader Dave Doogan said. The Independent
Starmer’s challenge now isn’t about the speech’s language. What matters is whether Streeting shifts, if a critical mass of Labour MPs gets on board, and if the cabinet—intact until now—concludes that sticking with him just isn’t worth it anymore.
