Who Could Replace UK's Keir Starmer? Ranking the Top Contenders

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing mounting calls to resign after Labour suffered heavy losses in last week's local elections, triggering a wave of unrest in his own party.

Labour lost more than 1,000 seats and dozens of councils (similar to city and county governments in the U.S.), as the right-wing Reform UK party made gains in traditional Labour strongholds and the left-wing Green Party also advanced.

According to the BBC, more than 70 Labour MPs have now either called on Starmer to step down or urged him to set out a timetable for his departure.

Who Are Starmer's Potential Replacements?

Amid mounting speculation over Starmer's future, reports from the British media and comments from the country's lawmakers have begun to narrow the field of potential successors should the prime minister be forced to step down.

Some-like Health Secretary Wes Streeting-have reportedly been prepping a leadership challenge for months and communicated their desire to take up the mantle. Others-such as Energy Secretary Ed Miliband-have been added to the potential shortlist based on their experience and past Downing Street ambitions.

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

Score: 4/5

Polymarket odds: 30 percent

A frequent critic of the government and Starmer himself, polls indicate that Burnham is viewed more positively than many of the other potential candidates.

A YouGov poll from April found that Burnham was the "most popular Labour figure among the public" with 36 percent of voters viewing him favorably and 27 percent unfavorably. This net rating (+9) compares to negative ratings of -45 for Starmer, -22 for Streeting and -31 for former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner-another name being touted as a potential replacement.

A separate poll found that Burnham was the preferred candidate of 42 percent of Labour members.

Acting against his candidacy is the fact that the Manchester mayor is not currently a member of the U.K. parliament (MP). In order to take up the position of prime minister, Burnham would need to return to Westminster through a special election in a safe Labour seat before launching an official challenge. His previous two failed leadership bids count against him as well.

Based on his past leadership ambitions and clear public appeal-and the caveat of a more complicated road to Downing Street-Newsweek gives Burnham a score of 4 out of 5.

Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Score: 3.5/5

Polymarket odds: 20 percent

Streeting has reportedly been working behind the scenes to build up support for a possible leadership bid, leading fellow Labour MP John McDonnell to accuse him of launching a "coup" against Starmer.

Streeting has denied the coup allegation, but according to The Telegraph, he now has the backing of around 80 MPs-the threshold needed to trigger a leadership contest.

But courting Labour members would prove a more difficult task. Ahead of Labour's heavy defeats last week, a Compass survey of over 1,000 members cited in The Guardian found that only 11 percent would choose Streeting as the party's leader, with the health secretary earning a net favorability rating of just 18 percent.

Given his momentum within Westminster but comparatively weak support from the party rank and file, Newsweek has awarded Streeting a score of 3.5 out of 5.

Angela Rayner, former Deputy Prime Minister

Score: 3/5

Polymarket odds: 17 percent

Starmer's deputy prime minister resigned from the government last year after admitting to underpaying tax on a property-though the apparent fading of this scandal has allowed the MP to enter discussions as a potential successor.

The self-described "soft left" trade unionist has been considered among the most credible challengers, though she has supported the return of Burnham to parliament and into the party's political fold-potentially complicating her own path to leadership given the Manchester mayor's public support.

Rayner enjoys deep support among the grassroots factions of the party, and her ideological priorities of workers' rights may carry less ideological baggage than Streeting-who had a close relationship with Peter Mandelson and is considered to be part of Labour's Blairite wing-particularly as the Greens are increasingly viewed as an electoral challenge for the party from the left.

However, with approval ratings comparable to Streeting's and lingering scrutiny over her tax affairs, Newsweek gives Rayner a score of 3 out of 5.

Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

Score: 2.5/5

Polymarket odds: 10 percent

A two-decade veteran of Westminster, Miliband was leader of the Labour Party from 2010 to 2015 during the period of Conservative Party rule.

Miliband resigned as leader following a clear victory for the Tories in the 2015 general election. However, he has since cultivated a reputation as one of Labour's more experienced figures, and one his supporters believe could be the new face of the party.

"He has the energy and enthusiasm. He is loved by younger members of the party. He is a new man from when he was last leader," one told The Independent.

However, despite avoiding the scandals or structural hurdles that face Rayner and Burnham, Miliband has so far failed to gain significant public backing.

According to a YouGov poll from April, only 13 percent think the energy secretary would do a better job than Starmer-equal to Streeting, two points below Rayner and far short of the 34 percent who said the same of Burnham.

Based on this-and the evident, past desire to see himself in Number 10-Newsweek awards Miliband a score of 2.5 out of 5.

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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 3:22 AM.