Sir Keir Starmer is set to address the nation on Monday morning from outside No 10 Downing Street. The Labour Party leader is expected to announce a timetable for his departure, paving the way for Andy Burnham to become prime minister. This would mark the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade, according to cabinet ministers who spoke to the Guardian newspaper.
Home Office Minister Welcomes Debate on Election Rule Change
A Home Office minister has welcomed online discussion about his suggestion that if a party changes its leader, a general election must be called. Mike Tapp questioned whether it was time to legislate this idea, arguing it would 'stop the constant churn' of leaders. In a follow-up post, Tapp said: 'I'm pleased to see the debate, at least here on X, has begun.'
'We cannot continue as we are. There are many nuances to this but at the core we must remember that as politicians we are here to serve the country - and 6 (possibly 7) PMs in 10 years is unsustainable. We need to find a better balance and this conversation is important,' Tapp added.
MP Samantha Niblett Voices Support for Starmer
South Derbyshire MP Samantha Niblett expressed strong support for Starmer, telling Sky News she 'absolutely' wants him to stay. Niblett stated that national renewal 'was always going to take a decade' to get the UK back on its feet. 'Now to do that we need to win the next general election and that meant the first two years of being in power were always going to be the trickiest,' Niblett said on Sunday night.
'It's where we're pushing through legislation and it's where people are screaming for change the most, but not really feeling it.' She asserted that the government is 'actually turning a corner' and that Starmer has 'steered a ship through choppy times'. 'That's not to say that we haven't made some errors, but in the main the things that we are delivering for the country are now going to be felt this year,' Niblett added.
Cabinet Sources Suggest Autumn Transition
It is understood that Starmer will make his announcement without having discussed his plan with Burnham since the Makerfield by-election result. 'Logically the best thing for both Andy and Keir would be for that to happen in September,' one cabinet minister said. 'Andy has no team ready to go into Downing Street and needs the time to prepare. It would also allow Keir to establish a flight path to his departure.'
A government source indicated that an autumn date appears most likely: 'I very much expect Keir to do what is best for the country, and Andy currently does not seem ready.'
