Nandy says no Labour leadership challenge has been launched — Lisa Nandy Keir Starmer Leadership
Lisa Nandy said no candidate has launched a lisa nandy keir starmer leadership challenge, even after feverish speculation following the local election results. The culture secretary said there is a process for triggering a leadership contest, but nobody had used it.
She said, “He was very clear with the cabinet on Tuesday, that if people want to challenge him there is a process for doing that, there is a way to trigger a leadership contest,” and added, “Nobody has done that yet, despite the absolute feverish speculation.” Nandy also said, “Most of it has turned out to be just froth and nonsense. We have got to get on with the job.”
Cabinet pressure after local results
Starmer faced a major challenge to his leadership after the local election results, and Nandy’s remarks cut against the idea that any formal contest is already under way. She said Starmer will not have resigned by the school summer holidays, drawing a line under the immediate leadership talk.
The speculation has centered on figures who have moved or spoken publicly in ways that prompted questions about their ambitions. Wes Streeting quit government last week and criticised the incremental approach of Starmer’s administration in his resignation letter.
Streeting, Burnham and Rayner
On Saturday, Streeting set out a policy platform that included a call for a new special relationship with the EU, and said it could eventually lead to Britain rejoining the trade bloc. He also called for the UK to reindustrialise to grow the economy and fund social democratic policies.
Andy Burnham has made clear he wants to be Labour’s candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election, which will be held after local Labour MP Josh Simons resigned to allow Burnham a chance to return to Parliament. Burnham has promoted his Manchesterism brand of politics, called for more proportional voting, taxes on wealth and replacing the House of Lords, and said Westminster no longer works for the majority of the country.
Rayner’s cleared status
Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister cleared by HMRC after a scandal about her tax affairs, can now be considered for a potential leadership bid. She has not yet made any public declaration that she would stand, but her announcement that she had been cleared appeared to be timed to coincide with other rivals setting out their stall to replace Starmer.
Rayner also described Shabana Mahmood’s plans to tighten eligibility for migrants to claim permanent settlement as un-British, while Kemi Badenoch said rehashing the Brexit debate shows that Labour does not have a plan for this country. For now, the practical point is simple: the talk has moved faster than the formal machinery, and Nandy says that machinery has not been started.
