West launches ‘Burnham-friendly’ bid to oust Starmer

Labour MP Catherine West is still urging Keir Starmer to set a timetable for resignation. Shortly after the May 2026 local elections, West made it clear that she would challenge Starmer, even if nobody else would.

Starmer: too little, too late

On the first Monday after the elections, Starmer made a speech clearly intended to steady the ship. However, West was less than impressed:

I have listened to the prime minister’s speech this morning. I welcome the renewed energy and ideas. However, I have reluctantly concluded that this morning’s speech was too little, too late.

And, West explained that she would still be making moves to push Starmer out:

The results last Thursday show that the prime minister has failed to inspire hope. What is best for the party and country now is for an orderly transition. I am hereby giving notice to No 10 that I am collecting names of Labour MPs to call on the prime minister to set a timetable for the election of a new leader in September.

Well-placed sources say that she has been persuaded to make her move in a more ‘Burnham-friendly’ way. West has sent a message to MPs inviting them to support her:

‘Burnham-friendly’

What ‘Burnham-friendly’ will mean exactly is still unclear, but Burnham’s camp are said to need weeks or a couple of months to prepare its own move. A list has been prepared of Labour MPs prepared to go public in their call for Starmer to go, after his long speech this morning failed to provide anything new except a move closer to the EU that seemed calculated to infuriate Reform supporters even further.

‘MSM’ journalists are still claiming she has ‘pulled back’ from her bid and is compiling a ‘petition’.

Featured image via the Canary