A Labour leadership contest triggered now would delay the Brexit reset Sir Keir Starmer has made central to his efforts to remain Prime Minister, EU sources have warned.
One said plans for a UK-EU summit in the next two months to sign off deals on trade and youth mobility “would be tricky”, while another said uncertainty over who would be prime minister would probably stop the necessary trade-offs being made in negotiations to strike agreements.
Starmer has placed an increasing emphasis on his Brexit reset, pledging at a crunch speech on Monday to strike a so-called youth experience deal to allow under-30s to move more easily between the UK and EU. He also put new laws to make it easier to align with the single market at the heart of his King’s Speech on Wednesday.
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Caption: Britain’s King Charles III speaks as he sits besides Queen Camilla during the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster in London, Wednesday, May 13, 2026.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)
Photographer: Kirsty Wigglesworth
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Source: Pool AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
politics
Four key takeaways from the King’s Speech
The monarch has outlined changes to health, education and the justice system on behalf of an embattled Sir Keir Starmer looking to prove he can enact the speed of change being demanded by his MPs.
In his speech at the State Opening of Parliament, King Charles unveiled a legislative programme including the introduction of digital ID, limits on trial by jury, measures curbing settled status for migrants and an overhaul of special educational needs teaching.
Four big Labour changes
- 1Digital ID will be introduced as a way of checking immigration status when people start a job, but will not be mandatory.
- 2Special educational needs teaching will be overhauled to give schools more responsibility for deciding how pupils are taught.
- 3A courts modernisation bill will restrict trial by jury to the most serious cases.
- 4Gaining settled status in the UK will be made harder for migrants under plans which could provoke a backlash from Labour MPs.
Few surprises as PM battles to stay
The King’s Speech is the set piece opportunity for the government of the day to lay out its legislative programme. But the ceremonial pomp was at risk of being overshadowed by the battle within the Labour Party over whether Starmer should remain in Number 10.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting leave Westminster Abbey following a service celebrating the 75th anniversary of the NHS on July 5, 2023 in London, England. The NHS was founded in 1948, introduced by Labour’s Health Minister Aneurin “Nye” Bevan, and was the first universal health system free at the point of delivery to be available to all. Currently, the NHS has over 1.6 million interactions with people across the UK per day. Nine in 10 people agree that healthcare should be free of charge, more than four in five agree that care should be available to everyone and that the NHS makes them most proud to be British. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Photographer: Leon Neal
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Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 13: King Charles III ahead of delivering the King’s Speech in the House of Lord’s Chamber during the State Opening of Parliament on May 13, 2026 in London, England. The State Opening of Parliament follows the prorogation of the previous session on 29 April. King Charles III will deliver the King’s Speech outlining the government’s legislative agenda for the 2026???27 session. Key priorities for the year include constitutional reforms regarding disgraced peers, a 10-year Health Plan for the NHS, and the implementation of changes to the Universal Credit two-child limit. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Photographer: Chris Jackson
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Source: Chris Jackson Collection
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
While the bills outlined were largely expected, allies of Starmer said the programme would allow Labour to say it had fixed Britain’s emaciated public services. But rumours abound that Health Secretary Wes Streeting will launch a leadership challenge as early as Thursday.
world ANALYSIS
Trump’s fatal flaw is about to be exposed on the world stage
Donald Trump is discussing military action with aides as he calls the ceasefire with Iran ‘weak’ (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
When the US President arrives in Beijing this week, he will be visiting a China which has spent years making itself more resilient to American influence and pressure.
Consequently, Donald Trump will be attempting to secure a series of rapid but transactional victories with a weakened hand.
Critical question for the US: who is hurting more?
The White House faces a situation of diminishing economic leverage. Trump’s tariff barrage on Beijing was supposed to force co-operation. But China has shown willingness to deploy its own economic arsenal. While Beijing is feeling the effects of US microchip curbs, Washington is being hit by China’s squeeze on critical minerals.
Caption: Shipping containers sit loaded on the deck of the BG Ireland freight ship as tugs manoeuvre the vessel out of the harbour at Scotland’s Grangemouth container port, operated by Forth Ports Plc., in Grangemouth, U.K., on Wednesday, May 1, 2013. Arcus Infrastructure Fund 1 LP acquired Edinburgh-based Forth Ports Plc for 746 million pounds in 2011. Photographer: Mike Wilkinson/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Photographer: Bloomberg
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Source: Bloomberg
Copyright: Copyright 2013 Bloomberg Finance LP, All Rights Reserved.
Analysis
4 min read
Beijing patient as Iran strife drags on
The most visible challenge constraining the White House is its ongoing conflict with Iran. While Trump struggles with rising fuel prices and a dropping approval rating, Xi Jinping is advancing Beijing’s interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Caption: US President Donald Trump reacts as he participates in a Small Business Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on May 4, 2026. (Photo by Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: KENT NISHIMURA
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(Photo: Nhac Nguyen/Pool/AFP via Getty).
Trump’s controversial moves, including the snatching of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and threats to annex Greenland, have created a space for China to make overtures to European leaders. Consequently, American structural power is diminished.
Caption: Maintenance engineer checking elevator doors in building
Photographer: Johner Images
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Source: Johner RF
health
Are lifts still safe? Warning over UK’s obesity rates
The obesity epidemic means that many lifts are no longer big enough to transport people between floors, according to British researchers.
A study found that the maximum capacity of lifts in the UK and elsewhere in Europe has failed to keep pace with the increase in weight of the average person, raising concerns about safety and discrimination.
What you need to know
Caption: two groups of businessmen and businesswomen in glass elevators, general view, part of a series of photos with these elevators
Photographer: jean-marc payet
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Lifts stuck in the past
The UK-based study found that despite weight growth and the obesity epidemic, the limit for elevators has not increased since about 2004.
Weighty concerns
In the 1970s, the average British man and woman weighed 75kg and 65kg, respectively. These figures now stand at 86kg and 73kg.
Caption: Close-up of a businessman using hotel elevator. Hand of a male pressing button on elevator panel in the hotel.
Photographer: Luis Alvarez
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Digital Vision
Capacity problems
Because lifts assume an average weight of 75kg, this means the amount of room is becoming limited and loads are getting heavier.
Super-sized society
Researchers said their findings suggested lift designs are now based on “flawed calculations” and could lead to issues like elevators cutting out if passengers exceed total weight limits. People with obesity may also feel stigmatised when entering lifts.
Caption: Close-up of unrecognizable black woman pushing button in elevator
Photographer: Grace Cary
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Copyright: ? Grace Cary
Nearly two-thirds of adults in England are living with obesity or excessive weight (Photo: by Matt Cardy/Getty)
Lead researcher Professor Nick Finer warned of a need to “super-size” many aspects of daily life, including lifts, to make the workplace and other environments safe and suitable for people living with obesity. By 2040, as many as seven in 10 Britons are projected to be overweight or obese.
politics
Which members of Government have gone so far?
Against the backdrop of calls to quit, Starmer took refuge in the Labour Party rule book (Photo: Richard Pohle/AFP)
Sir Keir Starmer has briefly met with presumed leadership rival Wes Streeting in No 10 as the Prime Minister continues to resist calls from within Labour for him to stand down.
The crisis at the top of Government has so far seen the resignations of 10 MPs from their frontline roles, including four junior ministers. Among the most prominent has been the departure of Home Office minister Jess Phillips.
What you need to know
- Six parliamentary private secretaries (PPS) – the eyes and ears of a minister in the House of Commons – have stepped down.
- They include Joe Morris, PPS to Streeting, and Melanie Ward, PPS to Justice Secretary David Lammy, a key ally of Starmer.
- The three ministers who have quit alongside Jess Phillips are Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones and Zubir Ahmed.
- In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised Starmer for his record on online protections.
OPINION
4 min read
Crisis in Downing Street
While the Prime Minister has suffered the loss of 10 members of his Government, to date the departures have been restricted to its junior ranks. Starmer is widely seen as having laid down the gauntlet to his Cabinet colleagues to either formally challenge him, or allow him to stay in office.
Caption: Health Secretary Wes Streeting arriving at number 10 Downing Street, London, for his meeting with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Picture date: Wednesday May 13, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire
Photographer: James Manning
Provider: James Manning/PA Wire
Source: PA
Copyright: PA Wire
Sources have said Government whips were picking up a mood described as ‘dire’ among backbenchers (Photo: James Manning/PA)
Some 11 Labour-supporting unions are expected to state publicly that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. Ministers are being watched minute-by-minute for signs of a formal split.
HEALTH
Why weight-loss pill after jabs may help keep pounds off
People using anti-obesity jabs can maintain weight loss by moving to a daily pill at the end of their treatment, a study suggests.
Researchers found that using orforglipron – an anti-obesity pill developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly – could be an “effective approach” for avoiding regaining pounds after injections have stopped.
What you need to know
- While anti-obesity jabs are effective at promoting weight loss, patients have been found to regain the pounds after treatment stops.
- Researchers in the US found that switching to orforglipron allowed patients using jabs to retain about 75 to 80 per cent of their weight loss.
- Orforglipron is also a GLP-1 agonist, the same type of compound used in anti-obesity injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
OPINION
3 min read
Weight-loss pill ‘cheaper’ than jabs
The US findings add to evidence that anti-obesity pills hold promise as a new method of promoting or maintaining weight loss, not least because they are significantly cheaper to manufacture than injections and easier to use.
Orforglipron, which is Eli Lilly’s hope for its next blockbuster drug, is taken as a once-a-day pill and was tested with 376 patients who had previously used jabs. The pill has been licensed in America but is still awaiting approval in the UK.
HEALTH
How children’s taste for vegetables ‘begins before birth’
Increasing numbers of parents are bringing up their children as vegetarian or vegan, the new guidance suggests
Young children react more favourably to the smell of vegetables if they were regularly exposed to them while developing in the womb, researchers have found.
A study at Durham University found evidence that three-year-olds develop a memory of the flavour and odour of foods they were exposed to in late pregnancy.
Everything you need to know
(Photo: Getty).
Remembering tastes
The reactions of toddlers to the smell of carrots or kale was examined to see whether taste can be established in utero.
Powder capsules
Children were tested for their response to the smell of the vegetables after their mothers took capsules of carrot or kale while pregnant.
Midsection of pregnant Black woman holding belly – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Changing the way vegetables and salad were labelled increased sales, the researchers found. (Photo: Getty)
Flavour memory
Researchers found children reacted less negatively if their mothers were exposed to the vegetables while pregnant.
Mothers advised to eat varied diet
The scientists found an enduring favourable response in toddlers to the vegetable flavours they were exposed to in the later weeks of pregnancy.
The study recorded the facial expressions of 12 children when they were given wet cotton swabs dipped in the carrot or kale powder their mothers had taken.
PROPERTY AND MORTGAGES
4 min read
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
What the researchers said
High angle shot of Asian pregnant woman holding an ultrasound scan photo in front of her baby bump, sitting on bed at home. Mother-to-be. Precious moment in life. Preparation for a new family member. Expecting a new life. Baby and new life concept – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
- The researchers said the study suggested mothers-to-be should eat a varied diet rich in vegetables and fruits of different colours, with the added possibility it could influence the eating habits of their unborn child.
Analysis
3 min read
Is napping an
invaluable part of the day or an unproductive hour?
To find out how to feel better, brighter and bushy-tailed, we asked Russell Foster, a
professor of neuroscience at
the University of Oxford, everything you need to know about napping.
Naps before 1pm can lead to better cognitive performance in the following hours (Photo: Lord Henri Voton/Getty Images)
Caption: A mother and new born baby taking a nap together on the sofa in a quiet but tender moment.
Photographer: Jamie Garbutt
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Stone RF
Copyright: Jamie Garbutt
How long should we nap for?
For Professor Foster, the ideal length of a time for a nap is just 20 minutes and certainly no longer than 30.
“You don’t want to do is fall into deeper sleep, because then recovery from that can leave you groggy,” he says.
Is there an optimum time of day to nap?
Napping too late in the day is warned against.
- An early-afternoon nap of around 20 minutes can improve your cognition during the second half of the day.
- If you have a nap later on, you can push back your sleep pressure, which means the longer you’ve been awake the greater need for sleep, at night.
- As long as you’re getting the sleep that you need to function optimally, that’s the main thing.
Sleep tourism in hotel. Exhausted woman sleeps sweetly in bed in the morning – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
How much sleep does a person need?
Sleep is like a shoe: one size doesn’t fit all.
Oversleeping on days-off or sustaining your waking day with caffeine and other stimulants are signs of tiredness.
Not everybody needs eight hours of sleep; it’s variable, dynamic and individual. And will vary over a lifetime depending on the season.
Other things to know
It doesn’t matter where you physically nap as long as it feels right and you’re comfortable. You can create the right environment by making it dark, calm or using a smell like lavender.
‘I encourage anyone that is sleepy to take a good nap, guilt free,’ writes Zuva Seven (Photo: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty)
The drug is taken by one in five Americans under 14, but it is only available on prescription in the UK (Photo: ozgurcankaya/Getty)
Generally speaking, napping is probably a metric that you’re not getting the sleep you need at night, says Professor Foster. “But don’t beat yourself up over it. A short nap, if it improves the second half of the day, is fine”.
How would Andy Burnham become prime minister?
Andy Burnham is one of the frontrunners to replace Sir Keir Starmer if he resigns as Prime Minister. The Manchester Mayor has previously indicated he would be willing to overthrow the current Labour leader.
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire
Photographer: Paul Ellis
Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire
Source: PA
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham cannot run for the leadership unless he wins a seat in Parliament (Photo: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty)
First step – find a vacant seat
Caption: File photo dated 13/4/26 of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Party MP and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham meet pupils during a visit to a school breakfast club at Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Ashton, Greater Manchester. Andy Burnham “should never have been blocked” from seeking a seat in the Commons, Angela Rayner has said today. Issue date: Monday May 11, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Paul Ellis/PA Wire
Photographer: Paul Ellis
Provider: Paul Ellis/PA Wire
Source: PA
A vacant parliamentary seat would need to be available and finding one may not be easy.
There are two by-elections coming up in Scotland, but Burnham is unlikely to stand in these.
Caption: Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham arrives for a meeting in 10 Downing Street, London, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Photographer: Alastair Grant
Provider: AP
Source: AP
Copyright: Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
Caption: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – OCTOBER 31: Labour Party MP Clive Lewis addresses hundreds of activists and campaigners in London’s Parliament Square during ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protest against the inaction of the British government in the face of climate change and ecological collapse. Protesters declared a non-violent rebellion and demanded urgent action on the ecological crisis to avoid the possibility of human extinction in the near future. October 31, 2018 in London, England. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Photographer: Wiktor Szymanowicz
Provider: Future Publishing via Getty Imag
Source: Future Publishing
Copyright: ? 2018 Wiktor Szymanowicz
MPs have indicated in the past they would step aside for Burnham, including Clive Lewis, but these suggestions have since been quashed.
Step two – Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee
If a seat were to become vacant, Burnham would need to win over the National Executive Committee (NEC), who is responsible for choosing Labour’s candidates. In January, the NEC blocked Burnham from running in Gorton and Denton. A 10-strong group, including the PM, voted to deny Burnham permission.
Caption: FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer poses for a photo outside Parliament Buildings, following a meeting with party leaders, during his tour of the UK following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, in Stormont, Belfast, Monday July 8, 2024. (Liam McBurney/Pool Photo via AP, File)
Photographer: Liam McBurney
Provider: AP
Source: Pool PA
Exclusive
3 min read
Step three – a leadership ballot
If Burnham were to be elected to Parliament, only then could he make a Labour leadership bid. According to the Labour Party rule book, candidates seeking to enter the ballot must be an MP.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham speaking at a Resolution Foundation event on working-age families, at the Methodist Central Hall in central London (Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
Caption: Angela Rayner And Andy Burnham At The Daily Mirror Party At The Labour Party Conference In Brighton, 2021 28-September-2021 (Photo by Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard via Getty Images)
Photographer: Jeremy Selwyn
Provider: Evening Standard via Getty Image
Source: Evening Standard
This is because the Labour leader is the Prime Minister, therefore they would need to be a Member of Parliament. The current rules state a candidate must receive nominations from 20 per cent of their Labour colleagues in Parliament to be in the running.
A summary of necessary steps
What is standing in Burnham’s way?
- Vacant seat
- NEC permission
- Win election, become an MP
- Meet nominations threshold
- Win leadership competition, become Labour leader and prime minister
But if Wes Streeting triggers a leadership contest on Thursday, Starmer faces fighting a battle to cling on to his job with his flagship EU project put on hold.
A second source said the EU would not make any concessions or trade-offs that the UK will need to strike the reset deals it wants with Starmer’s future in question.
“Brussels will not make a move without exploring the intentions of London, whoever resides in No 10,” the EU source said.
‘Hard to see why the EU should engage’
Former UK ambassador to France, Lord Ricketts, this week warned that it was “hard to see why the EU should engage on a further drive to get closer to the UK while the UK political landscape remains so unpredictable”.
A third EU source however insisted that until a contest is triggered Brussels would “keep working” towards reset deals.
Starmer had been hoping to tie up deals to ease food and drink trade, align carbon taxes which would help UK businesses, and create a UK-EU youth mobility scheme at a second reset summit between the two sides in June or July
Ahead of this, the Prime Minister used the King’s Speech on Wednesday to say his Government was “setting a new direction for Britain at the next EU summit” and “putting Britain at the heart of Europe”.
It included a new European Partnership Bill that would allow ministers to fast-track EU rules into law without giving MPs a vote, which the Government has argued is crucial for its plans to align with swathes of Brussels regulation to get access to the European single market, with deals to do so on food and drink and electricity being negotiated currently.
While the bill is set to give Parliament “a say” in the new agreements, critics have warned that the powers laid out in the legislation will allow ministers to bypass a meaningful vote by MPs.
Government sources indicated that ministers were open to discussing different mechanisms to give Parliament a say when the legislation is brought to the Commons.
Food and drink deal would lower shopping bills
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said a food and drink deal would help lower prices of household goods for shoppers.
William Bain, head of trade policy at the BCC, said: “A permanent deal with the EU can’t come soon enough for UK firms.
“In the talks ahead, ministers must deliver a deal that truly unburdens business and cuts costs.
“Consumers will then reap the benefits in their shopping baskets. Making trade with the EU quicker, cheaper and simpler is crucial to boosting economic growth in the years ahead.”