How would a Labour leadership contest work?
Getty ImagesSir Keir Starmer is fighting to stay on as prime minister, after more than 90 of his own MPs urged him to go and five ministers resigned.
Wes Streeting said he intends to stand in any leadership contest, after resigning as health secretary. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who needs to return to Parliament to challenge for Sir Keir's job, has been selected as Labour's candidate for the forthcoming Makerfield by-election.
The prime minister has warned his party that a leadership contest could result in "chaos".
Why is Starmer under pressure from his own MPs?
Labour performed badly in the biggest set of elections to be held since its landslide election victory in 2024.
Labour lost almost 1,500 councillors in local elections across England, with a surge of support for Reform UK and the Greens also eating into the party's support.
It was kicked out of power in Wales, where it had enjoyed political dominance for a century. Labour also won just 17 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, its worst ever result at Holyrood.
The BBC has counted 92 Labour MPs publicly urging the PM to resign immediately or draw up an exit timetable. In addition to Streeting's resignation, four junior ministers - Jess Phillips, Zubir Ahmed, Alex Davies-Jones and Miatta Fahnbulleh - also quit.
However, more than 150 MPs have indicated support for the PM, or say it is not the right time for a leadership contest.
How would a leadership challenge work and who could stand?
MPs unhappy with Sir Keir remaining in post could try to force a leadership election.
This would require 20% of the party's MPs to back a replacement candidate. There are 403 Labour MPs, so the support of 81 would be needed.
Once a Labour leadership election is triggered, other candidates could join the contest if they also have 81 backers.
Sir Keir would not be required to gather support as he would be automatically on the ballot paper if he chose to contest the leadership election.
He would continue as prime minister during any contest.
No Labour prime minister has ever faced a formal leadership challenge from their MPs.
How does the vote to choose a Labour leader work?
Party members and affiliated trade union supporters vote by ranking the candidates in order of preference – putting a one next to their favourite, two for their second choice and so on.
If one candidate receives more than 50% of first preferences then they will be declared the winner.
If not, then the candidate who finishes bottom will be eliminated and the voters who put them as their number one will see their vote moved to their second choice.
This process of elimination continues until one candidate receives more than half of the votes.
The timetable for the leadership ballot would be decided by Labour's decision-making body, known as the National Executive Committee (NEC).
In 2020, candidates had time to secure their nominations before a ballot took place over a six-week period.
That leadership contest was triggered when Jeremy Corbyn announced he would stand down following the party's defeat in the 2019 general election.
Who could stand to replace Starmer as Labour leader and prime minister?
Getty/ Belinda Jiao/ The TelegraphHealth Secretary Wes Streeting, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner are considered the main potential challengers to Sir Keir.
Wes Streeting
After stepping down as health secretary, Streeting told the prime minister he had "lost confidence" in him.
He has confirmed that he would enter any potential Labour leadership contest.
Streeting is seen as the cabinet's best communicator and can point to a fall in NHS waiting lists as one of his achievements in government.
Andy Burnham
Burnham cannot enter a Labour leadership contest without first becoming an MP.
He has been officially confirmed as the party's candidate to stand in the Makerfield by-election, which is expected to be on Thursday 18 June.
Burnham said he wanted to "bring the change we have brought to Greater Manchester to the whole of the UK and make politics work properly for people".
The Makerfield poll was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons, who stepped down to allow Burnham an opportunity to contest the seat.
Three other official candidates have been announced as standing in the Makerfield by-election:
Angela Rayner
Rayner is favoured by some on the left of the party.
She has called for Labour to offer regional mayors more economic powers and raise the minimum wage. "We are in danger of becoming a party of the well-off, not working people," she said.
In 2025, she resigned as deputy prime minister, after admitting she had not paid enough tax when buying a new home. However, she has settled £40,000 of unpaid stamp duty and said she has been "exonerated" by HRMC of the accusation that she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax".
What would happen if Starmer resigns or sets a timetable to leave?
Prime ministers hold office unless and until they resign. Sir Keir has told the cabinet that he will prove his "doubters" wrong and will not "walk away".
However, if this changed, he could choose to stay in post during a transition period before handing over to a successor, who would be both Labour leader and prime minister.
If Sir Keir chose to resign with immediate effect, a member of the cabinet would replace him in a caretaker capacity, under Labour Party rules.
This would involve a decision by the cabinet, who would consult with the NEC.
Deputy Prime Minster David Lammy would not necessarily fill the caretaker role.
A leadership contest would follow.
In this scenario, each potential challenger would need support from 20% of the party's MPs and to be supported by either 5% of constituency Labour parties (CLPs), or at least three affiliated organisations - of which two must be affiliated trade unions.
Could the opposition force a general election?
Whoever won a Labour leadership election would automatically be the prime minister without the need for a general election.
However the PM must have the "confidence" of the House of Commons to govern, which means they must be supported by a majority of MPs.
If the leader of the opposition, currently the Conservative's Kemi Badenoch, introduces a motion of no confidence, the government is expected to provide parliamentary time for a debate and a vote.
To succeed, the motion needs just one more vote in favour than against.
If the government loses the vote, a general election is usually called.
Important caveats to note are that 403 of Westminster's 650 MPs are Labour.
Several Labour MPs would therefore have to support any motion for it to succeed, which is very unlikely.
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