PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer will not set out a timetable for leaving office despite pressure from within the Labour Party following poor local election results, deputy prime minister David Lammy said on Monday.
Labour’s losses in the May 7 local elections led almost a quarter of the party’s lawmakers to call for Starmer to step down.
Two potential rivals are also openly positioning themselves for a leadership contest, adding to concerns among investors and pushing up government borrowing costs.
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“There will be no timetable for departure,” Lammy told Sky News, adding that he had spoken to the prime minister twice on Sunday.
Lawmaker Wes Streeting, who resigned as health minister last week, said on Saturday that he would stand in any formal leadership contest.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham is also seeking a seat in parliament that would allow him to launch a challenge.
Starmer has repeatedly said he intends to fight any leadership challenge.
Under party rules, a contest would begin if one lawmaker secures 81 nominations from Labour MPs, equivalent to 20 per cent of the party’s elected members in parliament.
