Within the British Labor Party, which was severely punished in local elections, the first dissident announces himself. In an interview with the British public broadcaster ‘BBC’, MP Catherine West calls on Labor ministers to put themselves forward as party chairman by Monday. “Or I will,” she says.
Koen Van De Sype
Journalist at HLN
West hopes that there will be a game of musical chairs within the cabinet, with “the best communicator” replacing Starmer.
If that doesn’t work, she plans to call for a presidential election, she says. That means 20 percent of Labor MPs – that is 81 – must support a challenger. West says she has the support of ten MPs, but she is “confident” that enough people will join her uprising.
London suburbs
West is a Labor MP for the London suburbs of Hornsey and Friern Barnet. She was first elected in May 2015. She is currently a member of the Budget Committee and trade envoy to Pakistan.
According to the ‘BBC’, West has no chance, but it is an important momentum, because presidential elections are looming for the first time under Starmer, which will challenge his premiership.
Just after the election defeat, Starmer appointed former Prime Minister Gordon Brown as special envoy for international finance. Another former figurehead, Harriet Harman, was appointed special envoy for women and girls.
Nigel Farage
There was immediate fierce criticism from within and outside the party. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who emerged as one of the winners of the election, mocked Starmer. “An unpopular prime minister who lost the parliamentary election is Starmer’s salvation. Labor is doomed,” he believes.
