Pressure mounts on embattled UK PM Keir Starmer as rivals circle 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration is embroiled in turmoil amid a calamitous local election result for the Labour Party last week.

Starmer, who has been dogged by controversy over the appointment of Jeffrey Epstein associate Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to Washington, as well as frustrations with slow-moving domestic policy changes, has so far refused calls to resign.

But more than 80 MPs have urged him to quit, while four junior ministers have stepped down. Labour figures, meanwhile, appear to be rallying around Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham in a potential bid to challenge Starmer.

Wes Streeting, a key Starmer rival who announced his resignation as health secretary on Thursday, publicly backed Burnham on Friday morning.

“We need our best players on the pitch. There is no doubt that Andy Burnham is one of them,” Streeting wrote on X. “Andy is the best chance of winning, and that should override factional advantage or propping up one person.”

A special by-election would have to be hosted to elect Burnham in Makerfield, northwest England. Labour lawmaker Josh Simons resigned from ⁠his seat earlier on Thursday so that Burnham can compete.

British newspaper The Guardian reported on Friday that the Labour Party’s deputy leader, Lucy Powell, had thrown her support behind Burnham’s efforts to return.

“I fully support him wanting to come back to Parliament again,” she said, adding there would be “absolutely no attempt to stop” him.

General Secretary of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers Joanne Thomas said the union endorsed the bid.

Despite the clamouring of support, Burnham’s path towards the 10 Downing Street would not be straightforward.

Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which selects the party’s candidates, must first decide whether the mayor can stand in the by-election.

The NEC previously blocked Burnham from such a bid, but multiple British MPs have said they expect the body to allow it this time. A decision is expected in the coming days.

After that, an election would be held at the earliest in June, with far-right Reform UK‘s Nigel Farage pledging to “throw absolutely everything” at the contest.

If he became an MP, Burnham would then need to gather support from 81 Labour MPs, or 20 percent of the party in Parliament, to launch a challenge against Starmer.

Any other contender would need the same numbers to join the race, while Starmer would automatically be allowed to defend his role.

Another potential candidate, Angela Rayner, said on Thursday that she was cleared by tax authorities over her tax affairs, an episode that was previously viewed as a hurdle for a future leadership bid.