What happens if Catherine West pulls the trigger on a leadership challenge?
The Independent’s Athena Stavrou reports:
Labour MP Catherine West has told the cabinet that if they do not put someone forward to challenge Sir Keir by Monday, she will attempt to trigger a leadership contest herself.
Here is a look at how a potential Labour leadership contest could play out:
There is no formal confidence vote procedure to oust a Labour leader, which means challengers need to garner the support of the parliamentary party in order to oust them.
Any challenger would require the support 20 per cent of the party in the Commons, which is 81 MPs currently.
Ms West has pledged to launch a challenge with the backing of 10 MPs so far. This falls well short of the nominations required, but more would be likely to back her as a means to oust Sir Keir. However, her move is intended to spur a potential leadership hopeful from the Cabinet into action.
Written nominations would need to be submitted to Labour general secretary Hollie Ridley, which would then trigger the contest.
In the case of a successful challenge, Sir Keir would be on the ballot by default as the incumbent and would not need to gather nominations. But if Sir Keir were to resign, it would automatically start a contest for a new leader.
It is up to the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee to set the timeline for a leadership election.
Amy-Clare Martin10 May 2026 21:30
Comment: Labour is betraying its voters – and that’s why Keir needs to go
In 40 years of campaigning, I have never known a Labour leader’s name come up on the doorstep in the way the prime minster’s did at these elections – the damage he is doing to our special party is unforgivable, says Labour MP Kate Osborne:
Amy-Clare Martin10 May 2026 20:30
Leading trade union calls for commission into electoral reform
A leading Labour-affiliated trade union has called for an independent commission into electoral reform amid support for proportional representation at elections.
The annual conference of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) agreed a motion rejecting the first past the post system (FPTP).
Supporters of electoral reform said the decision by delegates at the conference in Bournemouth marked a “historic shift” for the union, which becomes the eighth Labour-affiliated union to make electoral reform its official policy.
The motion said first past the post was producing unrepresentative results and was at crisis point.
Ed Baldwin, a CWU regional political officer, told delegates: “First past the post no longer reflects those we represent and is producing results that do not match the will of the people.
“The Labour Government has already accepted it is broken by scrapping it for mayoral elections. If it distorts democracy there, then it distorts democracy at Westminster too.”
Amy-Clare Martin10 May 2026 19:40
Reform accused of failing to condemn ‘clear racism’ after councillor’s ‘Nigerians should fill pot holes’ remark
Reform UK is facing intense scrutiny and accusations of failing to “call out clear racism” after its deputy leader declined to explicitly condemn remarks reportedly made by a newly elected councillor.
Glenn Gibbins, who was elected as a Reform councillor in Sunderland in this week’s local elections, posted on social media in 2024, complaining about the “amount of Nigerians in town”.
“Should melt them all down and fill in the pot holes!!” he wrote in a later-deleted post, according to campaign group Hope Not Hate.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice refused to directly criticise Mr Gibbins on Sunday, instead accusing the media of “smearing” Nigel Farage’s party.
Amy-Clare Martin10 May 2026 19:10
Reform ‘did not do as well as I feared’ in Holyrood election, Sturgeon says
More politicians need to “say it like it is” to try to combat the rise of Nigel Farage and Reform, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The former SNP leader said that Reform – who are now the joint second largest party in the Scottish Parliament with 17 MSPs – had not done as well in the Holyrood election as she had “feared” they might.
Speaking about the party, led in Scotland by Lord Malcolm Offord, Ms Sturgeon said: “They did not perform as strongly as many people, including me, feared they would on Thursday.”
However she added her “fear” is that the new group of Reform MSPs could be will “try to undermine” the Scottish Parliament and “try to be disruptive and just drag politics down”.
The former SNP leader, speaking at the Boswell Book Festival, also criticised the “inability of many politicians” on what is “broadly the left of politics” to answer “straightforward questions in a straightforward way”.
Nicola Sturgeon has told how Nigel Farage’s Reform UK did not do as well as she had ‘feared’ they would in last week’s Holyrood election (Local Library)
Amy-Clare Martin10 May 2026 18:40
Watch: Labour ‘in danger of going extinct,’ Unite boss warnsLabour ‘in danger of going extinct,’ Unite boss warns
Dan Haygarth10 May 2026 18:30
The youth vote isn’t just Green – they are turning up for Farage’s Reform too
Amy-Clare Martin10 May 2026 18:10
Supporters of defence minister Al Carns are urging him to stand against Starmer
Al Carns is touted as a possible next leader (Reuters)
While the frontrunners for the Labour leadership are thought to be former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, health secretary Wes Streeting and energy secretary Ed Miliband, a surprise candidate is emerging to replace Sir Keir Starmer.
Members of the 2024 intake are pushing for former Royal Marines commander now defence minister Al Carns to put his hat into the ring.
One member of the 2024 intake said: “Why are we turning once again to the same familiar faces to solve problems they were involved in creating?
“If we want to demonstrate genuine change to the public, we need a fresh face leading that change.
“Members of the 2024 intake are still hopeful of persuading Al Carns to stand should there be a contest, and support for that view appears to be growing.”
It is understood that a leadership team is being put together to support Mr Carns if he decides to make a move.
David Maddox10 May 2026 18:05
Full story: Angela Rayner’s ultimatum to Starmer
Angela Rayner has issued a dramatic ultimatum to Sir Keir Starmer that his government takes a hard turn to the left ahead of the embattled prime minister giving a speech to save his political career on Monday morning.
Dan Haygarth10 May 2026 18:00
Labour MP backs Rayner’s statement
A former junior minister has publicly agreed with Angela Rayner’s statement this afternoon, in which she called on Sir Keir to allow Andy Burnham to return and root out the “toxic culture of cronyism” in No 10.
Labour MP for Cheshire constituency Ellesmere Port & Bromborough Justin Madders shared Ms Rayner’s statement on X on Sunday, and added: “Totally agree with this.”
Ms Rayner challenged Sir Keir Starmer to take Labour in a new direction, in what she warned could be the party’s “last chance” to win back voters.
She also said it was a mistake to block Andy Burnham from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election, adding that the government needs to bring its “best players into Parliament” to regain public confidence.
Athena Stavrou10 May 2026 17:47