Sir Keir Starmer Vows to Stay PM as Local Elections Loom

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK will start talks to join the EU’s €90 billion loan for Ukraine, framing it as a foreign-policy priority. The announcement coincides with Thursday’s local elections, which could determine whether Starmer faces a leadership challenge.

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More in Common polling for the Press Association projects Labour will fall to third in Wales with 14 seats, while Plaid Cymru and Reform are each forecast at 34. In Scotland, Labour is expected to win 13 seats behind the SNP’s 60 and Reform’s 22. Tory peer Lord Robert Hayward estimates Labour could lose about 1,850 of the 2,500 English council seats it currently holds.

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Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner backs Starmer but has not confirmed a cabinet role. Health Secretary Wes Streeting denies any leadership bid. Former mayor Andy Burnham is reportedly arranging for a sitting MP to vacate a seat, a plan criticised by a Labour MP. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is bound by “ironclad fiscal rules,” limiting policy shifts. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is rumored to seek the chancellorship.

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In an op-ed for *The Observer*, Starmer warned that a leadership contest would distract from governing and pledged a “radical reform agenda” after the elections. He also highlighted the Ukraine loan as a priority. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander cautioned would-be challengers to temper ambitions, calling a leadership fight “the wrong thing to do” and warning it could alienate the public.

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Labour MPs have raised concerns about internal power moves. One MP called Burnham’s plan to secure a vacant seat “glorious” but questioned its timing. Another warned that a leadership shift could erode electoral gains. A further comment noted Ed Miliband’s chancellor ambition and the difficulty of demoting Reeves without jeopardising Starmer’s position.

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• “Wes has said repeatedly, including in several interviews last week that he supports the PM and isn’t preparing to challenge him,” — source close to Wes Streeting.

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• “Apparently he’s convinced a sitting MP to step aside to facilitate his glorious return to Westminster, nearly 10 years after leaving,” — Labour MP.

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• “Ed definitely wants the role of chancellor, but it is hard to see a world in which Starmer could demote Reeves without having to go himself.” — Labour MP.

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• “give their head a gentle wobble” — Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

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If Labour’s vote share falls as projected, internal tensions are likely to intensify, with challengers positioning themselves for a future contest. Starmer has signalled readiness to pursue a “radical reform” programme and to cement the UK’s participation in the EU-Ukraine loan, while a cabinet reshuffle remains uncertain pending the election outcome.

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