Labour leadership fight intensifies

What's happened

Since mid-May 2026 Labour has been forced into open leadership turmoil after heavy local election losses. Wes Streeting has resigned and declared a challenge; Andy Burnham has been enabled to seek a Commons seat via a Makerfield by-election; party members are expressing stronger support for Burnham than Keir Starmer.

What's behind the headline?

What is happening now

• The Labour leadership is fragmenting: Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary and has said he will stand, while Andy Burnham has been put in position to re-enter Parliament via a Makerfield by-election. Keir Starmer is fighting to stay.

What is driving the crisis

• Poor local election results on 7 May 2026 have triggered internal revolt: dozens of MPs have publicly said Starmer should step down. That electoral shock is raising pressure inside the parliamentary party and among members.

Short-term consequences

• Markets and bond yields are reacting to political uncertainty, and the pound has fallen in response to investor concern. The party is diverting resources to a local contest in Makerfield that will decide whether Burnham can become an MP and mount a formal challenge.

How a leadership challenge will proceed

• If Burnham wins Makerfield and one challenger secures 81 MP nominations, a formal contest will open. The National Executive Committee still has to approve candidacies for the by-election; the timing of the vote will shape momentum.

Likely outcomes

• This will force a multi-week internal contest that will distract the government from policy priorities. If Burnham becomes an MP and gathers enough nominations he will likely force a leadership ballot; if he loses Makerfield, the challenge will stall and Starmer will consolidate.

Why it matters to voters

• The turmoil will reduce government focus on domestic issues and will increase the risk that Reform UK and other challengers will capitalise on Labour disarray in coming local and national campaigns.

How we got here

Labour won a landslide in 2024 but has suffered heavy losses in the May 7, 2026 local and regional elections. Dozens of Labour MPs have publicly called for Keir Starmer to quit; a formal leadership contest requires 81 MP nominations. Josh Simons has resigned his Makerfield seat to allow Burnham to run.

Our analysis

The Guardian reports that Labour members prefer Burnham to Starmer when posed with a direct choice, with members saying Burnham would improve election prospects; it notes YouGov findings that only 28% of members want Starmer to lead into the next election (The Guardian, 19 May 2026). The Independent outlines how Starmer has been addressing staff at Labour HQ after tough local results and details Josh Simons stepping down to permit Burnham to run in Makerfield; it also quotes Burnham saying a vote for him "will be a vote to change Labour" (The Independent, 18 May 2026 and 17 May 2026). Reuters explains the formal mechanics: a leadership contest requires 81 MP nominations and that Starmer has said he will fight any challenge; it also reports market reactions and that dozens of MPs have called for Starmer to go (Reuters, 15–18 May 2026). Al Jazeera describes the situation as a "slow-motion coup" that is leaving Britain in "leadership limbo" and cites Streeting's resignation and backing for Burnham (Al Jazeera, 14–18 May 2026). The New York Times provides broader context on Starmer's falling popularity since the 2024 landslide and notes almost 100 Labour MPs have publicly called for his resignation (New York Times, 15 May 2026). Direct quotes used above are attributed: Wes Streeting said he no longer had "confidence" in Starmer (Al Jazeera, 14 May 2026); Burnham said a vote for him "will be a vote to change Labour" (The Independent, 18 May 2026); YouGov polling was summarised in The Guardian (19 May 2026).

Go deeper

• If Burnham wins Makerfield, how quickly can he gather the 81 MP nominations needed?
• What timetable is the Labour NEC setting for candidate approval and a potential by-election?
• How will markets and public opinion react over the next fortnight if the contest goes ahead?

More on these topics

• Keir Starmer - Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom

  Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB QC MP is a British politician and former lawyer who has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. He has been Member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015.

• Andy Burnham - Mayor of Greater Manchester

  Andrew Murray Burnham is a British Labour Party politician who has served as Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017. He attended Gordon Brown’s Cabinet as Chief Secretary to the Treasury from 2007 to 2008 and served in the Cabinet as Culture Secretary f

• Labour Party - Centrist social democratic political party in the United Kingdom

  The Labour Party, commonly Labour, is one of the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, along with the Conservative Party. It sits on the centre-left of the left–right political spectrum, and has been described as an alliance of democratic...

• Angela Rayner - Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom

  Angela Rayner is a British politician serving as Shadow First Secretary of State since 2020, and has been Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne since 2015.

• Steve Reed - Wikimedia disambiguation page

  Steve, Steven or Stephen Reed may refer to: Stephen Reed (1801–1877), American newspaper publisher and geologist Steven Reed (political scientist) (born 1947), American political scientist Stephen R. Reed (1949–2020), American politician Steve Reed..

• Peter Mandelson - British Politician

  Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson PC is a British Labour politician, president of international think tank Policy Network, honorary president of the Great Britain–China Centre, and chairman of strategic advisory firm Global Counsel.

• Jeremy Corbyn - Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom

  Jeremy Bernard Corbyn is a British politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2020. Corbyn has been the Member of Parliament for Islington North since 1983. Ideologically, he identifies himself as a socia

• Nigel Farage - Member of the European Parliament

  Nigel Paul Farage is a British politician. He has been leader of the Brexit Party since 2019, and served as Member of the European Parliament for South East England from 1999 until the United Kingdom's exit from the EU in 2020.