British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces new challenges after local election defeat

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, still reeling from a heavy defeat in local elections, faced a fresh blow to his leadership on Saturday when a former minister said she would challenge him for the post if no one else emerged as a candidate, Reuters reports.

Starmer's Labour Party has suffered its heaviest losses by a ruling party in local elections since 1995, prompting a growing number of his MPs to call for him to resign.

In an attempt to strengthen his position within the party, on Saturday he appointed two influential Labour figures, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Labour Party deputy leader Harriet Harman, as his advisers.

But just hours later, Labour MP Catherine West, a former minister, told BBC Radio that she wanted the cabinet to come up with a plan to replace Stammer by Monday, or she would challenge his position herself.

"If... there are no leadership candidates to emerge tomorrow, then I will put my name on the list to run for leadership of the Labor Party on Monday morning," the news release said.

THE CHALLENGE FOR LEADERSHIP WILL NOT BE EASY

As the scale of the defeat became clearer, more than 20 MPs publicly and privately called on Stammer to set a time frame for his resignation. When asked if he would resign, he told British media that it was not the right move.

"I'm not going to run away from this," he said earlier Saturday.

Several cabinet ministers said on Friday they still supported Stammer, who led the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the national election less than two years ago, and the immediate challenge from potential leadership rivals does not seem easy.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham does not have the parliamentary seat he needs to challenge Stammer, while former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Merkel has still not fully resolved the tax problems that led to her resignation last year.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who currently holds the position, like Starmer, bears the stigma of appointing Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador to the United States. Streeting was close to Mandelson, who was removed over his links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Any candidate who wants to challenge Starmer will need to secure the public support of 20 percent of Labour MPs in parliament. Given that the Labour Party currently holds 403 seats, that means they would need the support of 81.

Vest said that she has gathered 10 names behind her so far, but that her preferred choice is for another candidate to emerge.

"I think there are a few people who would like to do it and have been planning it for months," she said.

CALLING UP THE OLD GUARD AS PRESSURES GROW

To reset his leadership and regain the party's support, Starmer's office announced that Brown (75) and Harman (also 75) would join his team.

"They are key to how we strengthen our country, to move it forward and create opportunities that give people hope for a better future," Starmer said when asked if figures from the past could help with his plan for the future to improve people's lives.

Braun will work to attract new investment in defense and security, as well as improve relations with the European Union, to boost economic development and win back votes, while Harman will focus on combating misogyny and violence against women and girls, creating economic opportunity.