{"id":959676,"date":"2026-05-14T16:46:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:46:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/959676\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:46:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T16:46:21","slug":"keir-starmer-how-pms-leadership-rivals-want-to-reverse-brexit-hike-taxes-and-open-up-britains-borders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/959676\/","title":{"rendered":"Keir Starmer: How PM’s leadership rivals want to reverse Brexit, hike taxes and open up Britain’s borders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sir Keir Starmer’s position has never looked more at risk. After coming under pressure to pivot left, the Prime Minister is now at risk of facing a leadership challenge.<\/p>\n

Little-known Labour MP Catherine West dropped her short-lived attempt to force Sir Keir out of No10. However, five Labour big beasts have now emerged as the real contenders to depose and replace the Prime Minister. <\/p>\n

Sir Keir is adamant he will not walk, instead insisting he will fight any rival looking to oust him from power. The Prime Minister’s allies also warn Labour MPs backing a successor will bring instability to the UK, particularly on the economy.<\/p>\n

So, what do the runners and riders to replace the Prime Minister really want to change about the country? GB News has found everything readers need to know. <\/p>\n

Wes Streeting<\/p>\n

Age \u2013 43<\/p>\n

Position \u2013 Ex-Health Secretary \u2013 July 2024 to May 2026<\/p>\n

Constituency \u2013 Ilford North (majority of 528)<\/p>\n

Faction \u2013 Labour Right<\/p>\n

\"Health<\/p>\n

Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned today<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

PA<\/p>\n

Wes Streeting’s long-awaited resignation is perhaps the last stop of Labour’s ongoing psychodrama before Sir Keir Starmer faces a leadership contest.<\/p>\n

The now-former Health Secretary, who just yesterday welcomed a drop in NHS waiting lists, is expected to continue his push on the NHS if he wins the keys to No10. <\/p>\n

Having already abolished NHS England, Mr Streeting is also being tipped to set NHS employment targets. <\/p>\n

In his 987-word resignation letter, the Health Secretary also lashed out at Brexit.<\/p>\n

Mr Streeting, who campaigned for a second referendum on EU membership, is planning to go further than Sir Keir by calling for the UK’s return to the customs union. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe best way for us to get more growth into our economy is a deeper trading relationship with the EU,\u201d Mr Streeting said last December. <\/p>\n

Immigration is another area where Mr Streeting could take a different approach to the current Labour Government. <\/p>\n

The Ilford North MP took a broadside shot at the Prime Minister over his “islands of strangers” speech, later expressing concern about Shabana Mahmood’s deportation strategy. <\/p>\n

Mr Streeting’s stance on the economy is still plagued by mixed signals. <\/p>\n

He has admitted he is “really uncomfortable” with the UK’s tax burden, while also acknowledging businesses were feeling the pinch. <\/p>\n

However, Mr Streeting also floated the idea of equalising capital gains tax with income tax, replacing inheritance tax with a lifetime gifts tax and raising corporation tax.<\/p>\n

In contrast to his rivals, Mr Streeting intends to fund day-to-day spending through tax revenues rather than borrowing. <\/p>\n

Angela Rayner<\/p>\n

Age \u2013 46<\/p>\n

Position \u2013 Ex-Deputy Prime Minister \u2013 July 2024 to September 2025<\/p>\n

Constituency \u2013 Ashton-under-Lyne (majority of 6,791)<\/p>\n

Faction \u2013 Soft Left<\/p>\n

\"AngelaMs Rayner suggested she may be willing to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the keys to No10 | GETTY<\/p>\n

Angela Rayner’s economic agenda appears to have one thing at the heart of it: tax rises. <\/p>\n

A leaked memo showed the ex-Deputy Prime Minister had been calling for tax hikes of \u00a34billion a year as an alternative to welfare cuts. <\/p>\n

However, Ms Rayner has faced tax problems of her own, with the Ashton-under-Lyne MP being forced to settle a \u00a340,000 unpaid stamp duty bill. <\/p>\n

Having campaigned to stay in the EU in 2016, Ms Rayner was initially keen to show her Leave-voting constituents she had listened to them<\/p>\n

She said in 2018: \u201cPeople made the decision and you can\u2019t keep going back saying: Would you like to answer it a different way?\u201d<\/p>\n

But Ms Rayner is now speaking out against the UK’s departure from the EU, blaming Brexit for a \u00a340billion blackhole and accusing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of promising “the world the moon on a stick”. <\/p>\n

The 46-year-old, who made it to Labour’s frontbench under Jeremy Corbyn, is also expected to adopt a softer approach on immigration.<\/p>\n

She said in March: \u201cThe people already in the system, who made a huge investment, now fear for their future. <\/p>\n

“They do not have stability and do not know what will happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot talk about earning a settlement if we keep moving the goalposts.<\/p>\n

“Because moving the goalposts undermines our sense of fair play. It\u2019s un-British.”<\/p>\n

Ed Miliband<\/p>\n

\"EdEd Miliband could play ‘kingmaker’ in a potential leadership challenge | GETTY<\/p>\n

Age \u2013 56<\/p>\n

Position \u2013 Energy Secretary \u2013 July 2024 to present<\/p>\n

Constituency \u2013 Doncaster North (majority of 9,126)<\/p>\n

Faction \u2013 Soft Left<\/p>\n

Having already served as Labour leader, Ed Miliband is perhaps one of the better-known contenders to replace Sir Keir Starmer.<\/p>\n

Labour’s so-called “EdStones” ahead of the 2015 General Election set out his thinking at the time, including higher living standards for working families and controls on immigration. <\/p>\n

The former Leader of the Opposition, who fell short of winning the keys to No10 in 2015, is now seen as a major proponent of net zero.<\/p>\n

As Energy Secretary, Mr Miliband faces pressure over the costs of the push towards cleaner and greener energy. <\/p>\n

However, the 56-year-old’s underlying philosophy on reindustrialisation via clean power, planning reform and electrification of domestic heating and cars is a key cornerstone of Sir Keir’s premiership. <\/p>\n

Mr Miliband has also previously called for the top rate of income tax to be increased to 50p, flirted with a so-called mansion tax and looked at equalising capital gains tax. <\/p>\n

The Doncaster North MP, who is facing a threat locally from Reform UK, surprisingly believes Labour needs to tone down its stance on immigration.<\/p>\n

He is also expected to advocate for closer ties with the EU’s single market and customs union. <\/p>\n

Andy Burnham<\/p>\n

Age \u2013 56<\/p>\n

Position \u2013 Greater Manchester Mayor \u2013 May 2017 to present<\/p>\n

Constituency \u2013 Searching for a seat<\/p>\n

Faction \u2013 New Labour switcher to Soft Left<\/p>\n

\"AndyAndy Burnham was blocked from standing in Gorton and Denton amid concerns of a leadership challenge | PA<\/p>\n

\u200bHaving served in top posts during the New Labour years, GB News members might expect Andy Burnham to set out a moderate economic vision.<\/p>\n

However, following his conversion while serving as Greater Manchester Mayor, Mr Burnham is not setting out a tax-hiking agenda. <\/p>\n

A council tax raid on expensive homes in London and the South East and \u00a340billion of borrowing to build council houses will undoubtedly worry pockets of the country.<\/p>\n

Mr Burnham said: \u201cThere are people in homes in London that are [worth] double-figure millions paying less council tax than people here. It\u2019s just not justifiable.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the ex-Leigh MP also wants to introduce a 10 per cent starting rate for lower earners, while slapping a 50 per cent levy on top salary Britons. <\/p>\n

Mr Burnham is also far more steadfast in his support for the European Union.<\/p>\n

“Long term, I\u2019m going to be honest, I\u2019m going to say it… I hope in my lifetime I see this country rejoin,” he told attendees at the Labour Party conference last September. <\/p>\n

Mr Burnham also holds less steadfast views on the migrant crisis. <\/p>\n

\u201cI do have a concern about leaving people without the ability to settle,” he said of Shabana Mahmood’s reforms. <\/p>\n

He is also particularly critical of the Home Secretary’s efforts to quadruple the length of time asylum seekers must wait to gain permanent residency.<\/p>\n

Al Carns<\/p>\n

Age \u2013 46<\/p>\n

Position \u2013 Armed Forces Minister \u2013 September 2025 to present<\/p>\n

Constituency \u2013 Birmingham Selly Oak (majority of 11,537)<\/p>\n

Faction \u2013 Moderate<\/p>\n

\"AlAl Carns, who represents the Birmingham constituency of Selly Oak, wrote a letter to Royal Mail bosses on her behalf | FACEBOOK<\/p>\n

The Aberdeen-born former Royal Marine remains perhaps the most mysterious name being touted as a potential successor to Sir Keir Starmer.<\/p>\n

Al Carns is the dark horse of the imminent contest, with his action man credentials garnering support across different wings of the Parliamentary Labour Party.<\/p>\n

However, Mr Carns only entered frontline politics last July and had barely been a Labour member for two years before entering the House of Commons. <\/p>\n

However, the Birmingham Selly Oak MP was said to have set out his stall in a lengthy article in Labour’s spiritual bible, The New Statesman. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is the point of Labour if it does not represent Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent, Barnsley, Swansea and Aberdeen?\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is the point of the Labour Party if it cannot replace despair and frustration with hope, stability and purpose?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sir Keir Starmer’s position has never looked more at risk. After coming under pressure to pivot left, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":959677,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5226],"tags":[802,748,2000,299,5187,1699,4884,8274,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-959676","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brexit","8":"tag-brexit","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-eu","11":"tag-europe","12":"tag-european","13":"tag-european-union","14":"tag-great-britain","15":"tag-membership","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116573948202409558","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=959676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/959676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/959677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=959676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=959676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=959676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}