Inside Labour MPs growing pressure on Keir Starmer: Why an exit timeline is being demanded

Sir Keir Starmer is facing intense pressure to step down from Downing Street after Andy Burnham won an overwhelming victory in the Makerfield by-election.

Primarily, a large number of Labour MPs are urging Keir Starmer to declare an intent to hand over to the former Greater Manchester mayor without the need for a divisive leadership power struggle.

According to transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, a timetable has been set to leave office: “Heidi and the PM spoke this afternoon as part of wider cabinet calls. It was a private conversation, and I am not going to reveal what was said.”

Sir Keir in conversation with Labor staff members said: “The one thing we've got to avoid doing is plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement.

“That has never worked. That's what the last government did. We need to learn that lesson.”

Andy Burnham has remarkably won the Makerfield by-election against the Reform-the party in second place by securing more than 9,000 votes.

Burham’s achievement means to initiate an event to either participate in Starmer's resignation or launch a leadership contest, pitting the prime minister against both the gregarious mayor and the former health secretary, Wes Streeting.

For those unversed here, twenty ministers have resigned from Starmer’s government in less than two years. Consequently, half of them have already lost confidence in the leadership of Burnham, who previously served in several ministerial portfolios under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

Under labour rules, as the incumbent leader, Sir Keir is placed on the ballot and mainly does not require nominations from MPs to defend his position.

UK leader Nigel Farage acknowledged that while his party missed out on first place, their strong second-place finish had unfavourable outcomes, but voters were heavily attracted by a message: “Vote Burnham get Starmer out”.

He further asserted that there was a segment of the electorate who wanted to restore Britain and chose to cast their ballots for Reform UK instead of traditional parties.