Makerfield MP Josh Simons calls for 'orderly transition to a new prime minister'

Sir Keir Starmer is battling to save his job in the face of a leadership challenge following Labour’s disastrous election results.

That included failing to win a single seat on Wigan Council, with Reform UK taking 24 of the 25 seats up for grabs and the remaining seat held by Atherton North’s independent councillor Jamie Hodgkinson.

MP Catherine West has declared her intention to launch a leadership bid, though she has made clear her campaign is an attempt to force the cabinet to get behind a candidate to move against Sir Keir rather than a credible challenge to win the keys to No 10 herself.

Now, Makerfield’s Labour MP Mr Simons has joined the voices calling for the prime minister to step down.

Writing in The Times newspaper, Mr Simons said: “Putting the people I represent and the country I love first, I do not believe the prime minister can rise to this moment. He has lost the country. He should take control of the situation by overseeing an orderly transition to a new prime minister.

“What happens next is not a horse race, it’s about the future of our party and our country. Over the coming months, how the Labour Party conducts itself matters. To avoid leadership chaos, senior figures across factions should come together to decide the best way forward. The public expects nothing less.”

In a post on his Facebook page, Mr Simons added: “When I was elected, I promised to always put the people I represent first.

“Today, that is what I have done. I have called on the prime minister to set out an orderly timetable for his departure.

“I always listen and I always take action. I heard the message you sent at these elections: Labour has drifted from working-class people. Our actions do not meet the challenges facing our country. We constantly talk big and act small.

“I have said this to many of you in person, but I intend to do something about that. I want to get big things done locally, yes, but I also want a Labour Party that represents our towns and our people. I will always fight for that.

“I am also worried that things will descend into chaos. I’ve called for the prime minister to put the country first and set out an orderly timetable for a transition. Senior party figures need to come together to agree a path.”

However, the prime minister said he would not walk away from the job.

Asked if he would lead Labour at the next election, expected in 2029, and serve a full term of up to five years, he told the Sunday Mirror: “Yes I will, and I’ve always said it’s a decade of national renewal, where the legacy we inherited was an appalling legacy on all fronts, not just the economy, which was broken.”

Former deputy leader Angela Rayner is widely viewed as a potential leadership contender, with health secretary Wes Streeting likely to be her main rival within the parliamentary party.

Greater Manchester mayor and former Leigh MP Andy Burnham would need to win a by-election to become an MP to further his own leadership ambitions.