#catherine west | Newsgather

11/5/2026

Catherine West backs down from Starmer challenge but urges him to go by September

Backbench MP calls prime minister’s speech ‘too little, too late’ but stops short of moving to stand against him herselfWho are the main threats to Keir Starmer’s Labour leadership?UK politics live – latest updatesCatherine West, the Labour MP who announced a challenge to Keir Starmer’s leadership, has changed course and said she instead wants the prime minister to set a timetable of September for his departure.West, the MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a former Foreign Office minister, announced on Saturday that she would seek the gather the 81 Labour MPs’ names needed to formally challenge Starmer, while arguing that this was just a device to tempt others to stand, and that she did not wish to take over. Continue reading...

Labour MP who gave Starmer leadership ultimatum says PM’s speech was ‘too little, too late’ – UK politics live

Catherine West calls on prime minister to set out his departure timetable but stops short of standing herself Botterill says voters she spoke to during the campaign felt the country does not work for them. She is a working-class Yorkshire woman, she says. She knows that the opportunities she has enjoyed would not be there if if had not been for the achievements of Labour government.She says Labour is one of the best vehicles for changing the lives of working people that this county has ever known. Continue reading...

Starmer to say ‘incremental change won’t cut it’ in major make-or-break speech to avert leadership challenge – UK politics live

Prime minister will try to convince Labour MPs to back him after suffering major election losses last week Good morning. The news this morning is full of speculation about whether or not there will be a Labour leadership contest. A better way of explaining the situation might be to say that a leadership contest is already under way; Angela Rayner issued what was in effect her manifesto late yesterday afternoon (although she also hinted she would be happy for it to be delivered by Andy Burnham as leader), and Keir Starmer delivers what you could see as a hustings speech this morning.Leaders can survive challenges. In 1995 John Major was widely seen as doomed, but Michael Portillo postponed a decision to stand against him, Major easily saw off a challenge from John Redwood (the Catherine West of his day, in some respects), and Major survived another two years. In 2016 the vast majority of Labour MPs voted no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn, but he survived (because he was adored by Labour members, a benefit that Starmer does not enjoy). In 2006 Tony Blair accepted he would have to go. But he was allowed to work his notice for a year; Gordon Brown and his allies were powerful enough to force him out, but not to force him out quickly.To meet the challenges that our country faces, incremental change won’t cut it.On growth, defence, Europe, energy – we need a bigger response than we anticipated in 2024 because these are not ordinary times. Continue reading...

Angela Rayner calls blocking Andy Burnham’s return to parliament a mistake as pressure mounts on Keir Starmer – as it happened

Catherine West issues ultimatum for PM as ex-minister Josh Simons joins calls for prime minister to quitAt the start of her programme Laura Kuenssberg addressed Catherine West and Bridget Phillipson who were sitting waiting for the main interviews.Kuenssberg told West she wanted a cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer. She said she was sitting next to one of them. What was her message to her?Well, there’s nothing stopping Bridget from standing. Why are all the men better than the women? We do need some senior women to step forward and to challenge for what is going to be a really difficult two and a half years between now and the general election, and also to take us into that second term.I love you dearly, Catherine, but I just disagree on this one. Continue reading...

Angela Rayner calls blocking Andy Burnham’s return to parliament a mistake as pressure mounts on Keir Starmer – UK politics live

Catherine West issues ultimatum for PM as ex-minister Josh Simons joins calls for prime minister to quitAt the start of her programme Laura Kuenssberg addressed Catherine West and Bridget Phillipson who were sitting waiting for the main interviews.Kuenssberg told West she wanted a cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer. She said she was sitting next to one of them. What was her message to her?Well, there’s nothing stopping Bridget from standing. Why are all the men better than the women? We do need some senior women to step forward and to challenge for what is going to be a really difficult two and a half years between now and the general election, and also to take us into that second term.I love you dearly, Catherine, but I just disagree on this one. Continue reading...

Labour MP challenges ministers to trigger leadership contest as Starmer vows to fight on – UK politics live

Catherine West issues ultimatum for the PM as ex-minister Josh Simons joins calls for prime minister to quitAt the start of her programme Laura Kuenssberg addressed Catherine West and Bridget Phillipson who were sitting waiting for the main interviews.Kuenssberg told West she wanted a cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer. She said she was sitting next to one of them. What was her message to her?Well, there’s nothing stopping Bridget from standing. Why are all the men better than the women? We do need some senior women to step forward and to challenge for what is going to be a really difficult two and a half years between now and the general election, and also to take us into that second term.I love you dearly, Catherine, but I just disagree on this one. Continue reading...

Labour MP challenges ministers to trigger leadership contest as PM vows to fight on – UK politics live

Catherine West says party must ‘move quickly’ and that unless a cabinet minister comes forward to challenge the PM by Monday, she willAt the start of her programme Laura Kuenssberg addressed Catherine West and Bridget Phillipson who were sitting waiting for the main interviews.Kuenssberg told West she wanted a cabinet minister to challenge Keir Starmer. She said she was sitting next to one of them. What was her message to her?Well, there’s nothing stopping Bridget from standing. Why are all the men better than the women? We do need some senior women to step forward and to challenge for what is going to be a really difficult two and a half years between now and the general election, and also to take us into that second term.I love you dearly, Catherine, but I just disagree on this one. Continue reading...

Starmer insists he won’t quit as PM as Labour MP challenges ministers to trigger leadership contest – UK politics live

Former junior minister Catherine West says that unless a cabinet minister comes forward to challenge the PM by Monday, she willBridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is speaking on Sky’s Sunday with Trevor Phillips.Asked about Catherine West’s leadership challenge, she says:Catherine is a great colleague, and I’ve known her a long time. And I have real respect for Catherine.On this one, I do part company with her. I think she’s got this completely wrong.I don’t think … a leadership contest and all of the problems that that would bring is the answer. Continue reading...

Starmer insists he won’t quit as PM, as former minister Catherine West seeks to trigger Labour leadership contest – UK politics live

MP says that unless a cabinet minister comes forward to challenge the PM by tomorrow that she willGood morning. There were many predictions for Labour’s future ahead of the English, Scottish and Welsh elections, which have been terrible for the party, but there is one outcome foreseen by no one: a leadership challenge by Catherine West.West, MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet and a junior Foreign Office minister until she was sacked in the reshuffle last year, announced yesterday afternoon that, unless a cabinet minister comes forward to challenge Starmer for the Labour leadership by tomorrow morning, she will do it herself. She would need the support of 81 Labour MPs to trigger a contest; there is no evidence that she has those numbers and (for reasons that are probably a mystery to anyone under the age of 50 – more on that later) she is being described as a stalking horse.I’m not going to walk away from the job I was elected to do in July 2024. I’m not going to plunge the country into chaos. Continue reading...

Labour MP says she will trigger leadership contest by Monday if cabinet does not launch challenge – as it happened

Catherine West says she will try to get the necessary signatures herself to trigger a leadership contestMapped: how Labour lost ground in different directionsGordon Brown has been appointed as a special envoy on global finance.Number 10 said:The PM has committed to boosting the country’s security and resilience’In this role, Gordon Brown will advise on how global finance cooperation can help to achieve this. Continue reading...

Labour MP says she will trigger leadership contest by Monday if cabinet does not launch challenge – ask it happened

Catherine West says she will try to get the necessary signatures herself to trigger a leadership contestMapped: how Labour lost ground in different directionsGordon Brown has been appointed as a special envoy on global finance.Number 10 said:The PM has committed to boosting the country’s security and resilience’In this role, Gordon Brown will advise on how global finance cooperation can help to achieve this. Continue reading...

MPs from Labour’s left to urge Ed Miliband to consider leadership bid

Keir Starmer set to face challenge as former minister says she will trigger race if no cabinet minister comes forwardUK politics live – latest updatesMPs from Labour’s left are expected to urge Ed Miliband to consider a leadership bid in the coming days, as Keir Starmer faced the prospect of a definite challenge from his MPs next week.Following grim results for Labour in elections on Thursday, former minister Catherine West said that if no cabinet ministers went public by Monday, she would launch a bid to end the impasse. Continue reading...

Labour MP says she will trigger leadership contest by Monday if cabinet does not launch challenge – UK politics live

Catherine West says she will try to get the necessary signatures herself to trigger a leadership contestMapped: how Labour lost ground in different directionsGordon Brown has been appointed as a special envoy on global finance.Number 10 said:The PM has committed to boosting the country’s security and resilience’In this role, Gordon Brown will advise on how global finance cooperation can help to achieve this. Continue reading...

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Últimas noticias

Catherine West backs down from Starmer challenge but urges him to go by September

Labour MP who gave Starmer leadership ultimatum says PM’s speech was ‘too little, too late’ – UK politics live

Starmer to say ‘incremental change won’t cut it’ in major make-or-break speech to avert leadership challenge – UK politics live

Angela Rayner calls blocking Andy Burnham’s return to parliament a mistake as pressure mounts on Keir Starmer – as it happened

Angela Rayner calls blocking Andy Burnham’s return to parliament a mistake as pressure mounts on Keir Starmer – UK politics live

Labour MP challenges ministers to trigger leadership contest as Starmer vows to fight on – UK politics live

Labour MP challenges ministers to trigger leadership contest as PM vows to fight on – UK politics live

Starmer insists he won’t quit as PM as Labour MP challenges ministers to trigger leadership contest – UK politics live

Starmer insists he won’t quit as PM, as former minister Catherine West seeks to trigger Labour leadership contest – UK politics live

Labour MP says she will trigger leadership contest by Monday if cabinet does not launch challenge – as it happened

Labour MP says she will trigger leadership contest by Monday if cabinet does not launch challenge – ask it happened

MPs from Labour’s left to urge Ed Miliband to consider leadership bid

Labour MP says she will trigger leadership contest by Monday if cabinet does not launch challenge – UK politics live