Keir Starmer: What city's MPs have said as Miliband urged to stand

All of Doncaster’s MPs are publicly standing behind embattled Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer - but reports suggest Ed Miliband is being urged to consider a leadership bid.

MPs from Labour’s left are expected to urge Doncaster North MP Mr Miliband to consider a leadership bid in the coming days, as the PM faced the prospect of a definite challenge from his MPs following last week’s devastating election results, The Guardian has reported.

Former minister and Labour MP Catherine West said that if no cabinet ministers went public by Monday, she would launch a bid to end the impasse and stand against Starmer herself.

Both Mr Miliband and Rawmarsh and Conisbrough MP John Healey issued statements following Labour’s collapse, while Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson and Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme MP Lee Pitcher have not so far commented publicly.

Mr Miliband said: “These are devastating election results for Labour and I’m deeply sorry for all those colleagues who have lost their seats.

“Voters are making clear their anger at a broken economic and political status quo.

“As Keri has said, we must go further in delivering the mandate for change that Labour won in 2024 - and show how we will answer the call for change in our country.”

Defence Minister Mr Healey said: “Not the results we wanted.

“And not the results that good Labour councillors and candidates deserved.

“But we should not turn inward. We can work our way back, if we’re bold and give people hope for the future.

“That starts with security. “

A series of Labour backbenchers called on Saturday for Starmer to set a timetable for his departure from Downing Street.

The prime minister has reiterated his determination to stay on, saying on Saturday that a change of leadership would “plunge the country into chaos”.

A number of Labour MPs from across the party support Andy Burnham replacing Starmer. However, the Greater Manchester mayor requires a time-consuming and uncertain byelection to re-enter parliament.

There has been speculation that Wes Streeting might be considering a move next week, although the health secretary’s allies have vehemently denied this and point to his public support for the PM on Friday.

The Guardian reported: “With any route for Burnham back to the Commons still unclear, dozens of backbenchers from the party’s left are now preparing to turn to Miliband. The group is expected to urge the energy secretary to step in and prevent a Streeting coronation, believing that Angela Rayner, Starmer’s former deputy, does not have the necessary support.”

West, a north London MP who Starmer sacked as a Foreign Office minister last year, says she has the support of 10 MPs so far, well below the required 81 – 20% of the parliamentary party – to endorse any challenger. But her action could prompt others to act.

“My preferred option is for the cabinet to do a reshuffle within itself, where there’s plenty of talent, and for Keir to be given a different role, which he might enjoy, perhaps an international role,” West said.

She added: “I don’t have a candidate. That’s part of the problem. But I think there are several people who would like to do it, who have been planning for months, but I’m very surprised that none of them has popped up today to say, ‘I will do it.’”

Labour lost more than 1,400 councillors across England on Thursday, shedding support to Reform UK and the Greens in traditional heartlands. In Wales, the party lost power for the first time, plummeting to just nine Senedd seats behind Plaid Cymru and Reform, while also losing ground in the Scottish parliament.