Labour Members Don't Want Keir Starmer To Lead Party In Next UK Election. Who Could Replace Him?

Labour Members Don't Want Keir Starmer To Lead Party In Next UK Election. Who Could Replace Him? Published By, Last Updated: May 19, 2026, 16:38 IST Starmer faced a massive blow after UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned and launched a separate bid for leadership. Rapid Read British PM Keir Starmer (L) and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. (R) (Reuters) As Britain’s embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces a leadership crisis, many Labour members are under the impression that the party is likely to win the next UK election without him as the leader, a recent poll has found. Starmer faced a massive blow after UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned and launched a separate bid for leadership. In his resignation letter, Streeting said he had “lost confidence" in Starmer’s leadership, arguing he lacked vision and a sense of direction. While Starmer stood defiant against calls for him to step down after Labour’s dismal performance in the recent local elections, the signs are clear that the party members are not happy with his leadership, making it more challenging for the 63-year-old PM to lead the party till the next election. What Labour Thinks Of Starmer? According to a recent YouGov survey of 706 Labour members, most of them believe that the party is likely to win the next election without Starmer as leader. Just 28% of Labour members feel that the party can still win the election with Starmer. While 61% of members say they would like Starmer to remain as leader for now, only 28% of them feel Starmer should lead them to the next election. Around 33% of Labour members don’t want to wait for that long and want Starmer to step down as leader now or in the coming months. At least 57% of the respondents say Labour has a poor chance of returning to Downing Street if Starmer remains as leader. However, that does not mean that Labour members think Starmer has done a poor job in government. In fact, 66% of the respondents believe Starmer is doing a good job as prime minister, even if 32% think he’s done a bad job, contrary to public polls. Who Could Replace Starmer? Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is the Labour members’ top choice to lead the party into the next election. The YouGov poll showed that 47% of the respondents picked Burnham as their top choice for leader. Around 74% of Labour members think the party is likely to win in 2029 if Andy Burnham takes over. In a head-to-head poll, Burnham led at 47%, while Starmer was second at 31%. deputy home minister Angela Rayner was third at 8%. While Burnham enjoys a “very favourable" rating of 43%, Angela Rayner enjoys a “favourable" rating of 80%, followed by Ed Miliband (77%) and Yvette Cooper (73%). Burnham’s road to challenge Starmer for the leadership position is fraught with challenges. Josh Simons, once a close Starmer ally, resigned from his seat in Makerfield, triggering a by-election that is a must-win for Burnham. The constituency overwhelmingly voted in favour of Brexit in 2016. ALSO READ: Why Is Brexit Back In UK’s Political Spotlight As Keir Starmer Faces Leadership Crisis? News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Location: London, United Kingdom (UK) First Published: May 19, 2026, 16:27 IST News world Labour Members Don't Want Keir Starmer To Lead Party In Next UK Election. Who Could Replace Him? Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...