Labour MPs say Starmer will quit in the New Year... before he's forced to face a leadership challenge

The Daily Mail ^ | 23 Nov 2025 | GLEN OWEN AND DAN HODGES

[MinorityRepublican]

Labour MPs increasingly believe that Sir Keir Starmer could quit as Prime Minister in the New Year before facing a leadership challenge, The Mail on Sunday has been told.

At the start of a crunch week for the PM, with one of the most anticipated Budgets of modern times taking place against the backdrop of plots against his premiership, MPs say they are suspicious about what they call Sir Keir's 'new zen-like mood'.

Despite Labour languishing at 18 percent in the polls – level-pegging with the Greens – and Cabinet colleagues openly jostling for his job, one backbencher who met him recently said: 'He was very chilled.

'Not like someone who had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Or expects to have them for that much longer.'

And a minister highlighted the letter that Sir Keir wrote to his son to mark International Men's Day last week, saying: 'I thought that was an odd thing for him to do. He's not keen on talking about his family like that.

'I thought there was something valedictory about it.'

May's local elections – in which Labour is expected to do badly – are being eyed as the most likely time for a contest if Sir Keir is still in post.

The PM responded to reports that former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham are planning bids by telling reporters at the G20 in Johannesburg this weekend that he wants to be in No 10 until 2034.

---

TOPICS: United Kingdom
KEYWORDS:

[doc maverick]

I guess he’s face-planting in more ways than one:
https://x.com/Independent/status/1992269460485619750

[bantam]

For the UK’s sake, I hope this is true!