Labour Ministers Urge Starmer to Change Course Amid Party Pressure

Not everyone in the Labour Party wants a leadership challenge, but even Sir Keir Starmer's most loyal ministers are pressing him to change quickly.

Millions of voters have signaled dissatisfaction with his 22 months in government. More colleagues are voicing similar views as time passes.

Powerful unions, which still fund the party, have warned the prime minister. One union leader said, "It's been a slow motion car crash – we need a concrete promise that things will change."

In other areas, Labour lost ground to Zack Polanski, a former hypnotist and Liberal Democrat. Some party members find the current slump grating because it differs from familiar defeats to the Conservatives.

Starmer's allies call for better performance, quicker action, more effective governance and demonstrations of "the change." Starmer said on Saturday, "We made unnecessary mistakes," including failing to convince the public how change would improve their lives.

Downing Street has enlisted Gordon Brown for global finance advice and Harriet Harman for women and girls, both unpaid roles. The distinction from Harman's prior appointment remains unclear.

These moves also aim to bolster Starmer's position. Brown earned the nickname "clunking fist."

One Labour source joked about consulting past leaders like Clement Attlee and Harold Wilson via ouija board.

Starmer plans a Monday speech promising closer European Union ties, a theme from earlier this year. The King's Speech on Wednesday will outline government legislation amid ceremonial pomp.

Labour MPs hope for measures to spark voter interest. A source preparing the speech expected Labour-friendly policies but doubted anything dramatic.

A cabinet minister said Starmer has been bluntly self-critical in private and must step up. The minister called a leadership contest now a mistake, describing Starmer as "the most astonishing adaptor and survivor."

His record shows resilience, though history offers little comfort for governments in such straits. One minister told me, "it's terminal - I just can't see a way through."

No word is expected from Andy Burnham, not an MP, after Labour's losses in the North West. Angela Rayner is unlikely to challenge this weekend but will voice concerns.

Some prime minister allies cite a quiet majority in the Parliamentary Labour Party questioning the party's direction.

Without a clear challenger, forcing a departure timetable would alienate voters further, they argue. One minister warned that announcing an exit would end Starmer's tenure immediately.

Labour holds a large majority amid global turmoil. Loyalists highlight achievements like minimum wage increases and shorter NHS waiting lists. Tory leadership changes over 14 years proved disastrous.