Wes Streeting has the support of enough Labour MPs to launch a leadership challenge against Keir Starmer in mere days as Andy Burnham plans to return to Westminster ‘within weeks’.
The Prime Minister faces challenges from not just one but two major Labour players – his Health Secretary and the mayor of Greater Manchester – as his party is anticipated to perform poorly in the upcoming local election.
The Health Minister, 43, has the backing of more than 81 of his peers – the minimum number needed to launch a challenge for leadership and is weighing up his next move going forward, reports say.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is said to have been notified of the Health Secretary’s plan after a staff member in Downing Street mistakenly messaged details of Mr Streeting’s intentions.
This included his ‘PFG’, meaning his government plan, as well as the ‘five pillars’ of his leadership campaign. It is also believed those backing Mr Streeting want him to launch his bid as early as next Friday – just a day after local elections.
The timing of his supposed bid for the top spot comes amid hopes he can benefit from the fury of Labour members after what are anticipated to be poor local election results on May 7.
It is said the Health Minister will either resign in the hopes that other cabinet members will follow, forcing Starmer’s hand to resign or that Mr Streeting will announce his own leadership campaign.
His early bid for leadership has the potential to catch out other Labour politicians, such as Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham, who could also launch their own attempts for the top spot as they would not yet have campaigns ready.
It is believed Ms Rayner is currently in talks with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband as well as Mr Burnham about being a part of a soft Left coup, but allegedly remains undecided about whether to run, a newspaper reported.
Wes Streeting has the support of enough Labour MPs to launch a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer (pictured on April 30, 2026)in mere days, reports say
The Health Minister, 43, (pictured on April 28, 2026) is said to have the backing of more than 81 of his peers – the minimum number needed to launch a challenge for leadership
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Greater Manchester plans to return to Westminster ‘within weeks’ in a bid to challenge Sir Keir.
Mr Burnham identified several seats where MPs are prepared to step aside, triggering a by-election which could pave the way for his return to Parliament, The Guardian newspaper said.
Mr Burnham’s supporters are also said to be trying to avoid a formal leadership challenge against the Prime Minister.
And in a similar tone to Mr Streeting’s supposed planned leadership bid, Mr Bunham’s supporters hope to kickstart a process for him to stand down after what are expected to be disastrous results for Labour in the May 7 elections.
Earlier this year, Mr Burnham was blocked by Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election, after the previous MP Andrew Gwynne stood down, citing health reasons.
The NEC said worries about the costs of running a new Manchester mayoral election and fear that Reform could take the mayoralty were behind the decision to block Mr Burnham.
He is now reported to be lining up an ‘impressive’ candidate to replace him as mayor, who The Guardian said was not a sitting MP.
Mr Burnham, who served as health secretary in Gordon Brown’s government, is also said to be preparing a progressive policy platform for Government.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham (pictured on February 12, 2026) plans to return to Westminster ‘within weeks’ in a bid to challenge Sir Keir
Constituencies across Merseyside and Greater Manchester are reportedly among those where MPs are prepared to stand aside for Mr Burnham, The Guardian said.
Earlier this week, in an interview with the BBC, Labour MP for Bootle Peter Dowd rejected suggestions he was preparing to make way for Mr Burnham.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Mr Streeting has insisted that the Health Secretary ‘supports’ Sir Keir and that he was ‘completely focused on his job’.
However, speculation has begun to swirl among Labour circles that the Prime Minister will face pressure to leave his post if the party suffers huge losses in the upcoming local elections.
Around 5,000 local council seats across England are being contested as Wales and Scotland hold elections for the Senedd and Holyrood.
Sir Keir could announce his departure at Labour’s September Party Conference; his peers may not wait that long if he faces more pressure if local results are poor for his party.
‘I don’t think anyone really understands the scale of what is going to happen next week,’ a Labour source said.
‘Labour is going to lose in places it has never lost, including in parts of London. It will be destroyed in the Midlands and the North, and once the northern barons turn against Starmer, it’s over. It will be carnage.’
Elsewhere, Housing Secretary Steve Reed warned it would be ‘madness’ for Labour to consider ousting Sir Keir.
‘Loyalty in politics is a very important commodity,’ he told the Times.
Mr Reed added: ‘If you are fighting each other then you are not fighting the common enemy. The common enemy here is the cost-of-living crisis, the lack of investment coming into our country, the fate of our high streets.
‘We are always better as a party when we face outwards… when we turn in on ourselves, we’re basically telling the British public that we’re making ourselves irrelevant.’
A spokesman for Mr Streeting said: ‘Wes has said repeatedly that he supports the Prime Minister. He is completely focused on his job, in which he has cut waiting lists to their lowest level for three years and got ambulances arriving faster than for half a decade.’
The Daily Mail has approached Labour and No. 10 for comment.