Angela Rayner warns Labour may face collapse unless Keir Starmer changes direction
Angela Rayner has publicly challenged Keir Starmer to urgently change Labour’s direction following the party’s devastating election losses, deepening the growing crisis surrounding his leadership.
In a dramatic intervention, Starmer’s former deputy warned that Labour could be facing its “last chance” to reconnect with voters after suffering catastrophic defeats in local elections across Britain.
Rayner stopped short of directly demanding the Prime Minister’s resignation, but her statement represented one of the strongest internal criticisms yet from a senior Labour figure. She openly admitted the party’s current strategy “isn’t working” and warned Labour risked losing its identity as the party of working people.
“Our party has suffered a historic defeat,” Rayner said. “What we are doing isn’t working, and it needs to change. This may be our last chance.”
The intervention comes as pressure on Starmer intensifies following Labour’s disastrous performance at the ballot box. Dozens of Labour MPs have reportedly called for him to resign after the party suffered major losses in local elections, fuelling fears that support is collapsing across Labour’s traditional base.
Rayner also criticised what she described as a “toxic culture of cronyism” inside Downing Street, singling out the controversial appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the United States. She argued the decision damaged Labour’s credibility with ordinary voters and reinforced perceptions that the party was becoming disconnected from working-class communities.
The former deputy leader further attacked policies such as cuts to winter fuel allowance, saying they were not what people expected from a Labour government.
In another significant blow to Starmer, Rayner urged Labour to allow Andy Burnham back into Westminster after he was blocked earlier this year from contesting a parliamentary by-election. Burnham remains one of the most popular figures among Labour supporters and is widely viewed as a potential future leadership challenger.
Rayner described preventing Burnham’s return to Parliament as “a mistake” and insisted Labour needed its “best players” in Westminster if it hoped to regain public trust.
The growing unrest inside Labour has triggered open discussions about a possible leadership contest. Labour MP Catherine West has reportedly warned cabinet ministers they must move against Starmer or she will begin gathering support to formally trigger a leadership challenge herself.
West argued that unless Starmer steps aside, Nigel Farage and Reform UK could eventually take power nationally.
Meanwhile, reports have suggested senior figures including Wes Streeting are already being discussed privately as possible replacements should a leadership contest begin.
Starmer, however, has so far refused to step down despite the mounting rebellion. The Prime Minister is expected to deliver a major speech outlining a “fresh direction” for the government as he attempts to stabilise his increasingly fragile premiership.
The crisis reflects growing panic inside Labour after the local election results exposed widespread dissatisfaction among voters over issues including the cost of living, public services and economic inequality.
For many within the party, the fear is no longer simply losing support but losing relevance altogether.
As tensions continue rising inside Westminster, Labour now faces a dangerous internal battle that could define not only Starmer’s future, but the future of the party itself.