Sir Keir Starmer is fighting to save his increasingly threatened premiership as he faces mounting calls to resign over a bruising set of local elections.

The prime minister said he took responsibility for the results, which saw the Labour Party lose almost 1,500 councillor seats, but insisted he would not walk away.

He has faced relentless criticism of his leadership since he took office in July 2024, compounded by a string of U-turns and, more recently, the impact of the Peter Mandelson security vetting scandal.

The elections were widely touted as judgement day for the prime minister, and he was hit by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK snatching councils, some of which had been Labour for generations, in northern England, while Zack Polanski’s Green Party lured voters away from him in former urban strongholds, including taking control of some London authorities.

On Monday, Sir Keir gave a make-or-break speech intended to avert any leadership challenge and reassert his authority, but it was described by rebel backbencher Catherine West as “too little, too late”, and dozens of Labour MPs called for the prime minister to stand down or to provide a timetable to ensure an orderly transition of power.

Now cabinet ministers have encouraged Sir Keir to consider his position, opening a window for some rumoured Labour leadership candidates – some of whom are said to have been planning their challenges for months – to finally strike.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has been widely considered the most popular candidate, and allies say he has a credible plan to return as a sitting MP, a prerequisite for the top job.

Sir Keir’s former deputy Angela Rayner is also a frontrunner, alongside the current health secretary Wes Streeting.

Here, The Independent looks at each of the potential leadership candidates, while readers can also share their thoughts:

Andy Burnham

Popular among Labour MPs, party members and the general public, the mayor of Greater Manchester has been hinting at a leadership bid for months.

Recent YouGov polling puts Mr Burnham far ahead of any other Labour figure in popularity polls, with 34 per cent of Britons thinking he’d do a better job than Sir Keir.

Last year, Mr Burnham repeatedly failed to rule out a Labour leadership bid and has been regularly tipped as the leading candidate to take over should Sir Keir’s position as prime minister become untenable.

He was the focus of such rumours at the Labour Party conference last September, when he revealed that dozens of MPs were privately urging him to challenge the prime minister.

He is currently unable to launch an official bid as he is not a sitting MP, and has not made a public statement since Labour’s devastating defeat in the local elections.

Earlier this year, tensions came to a head when a parliamentary seat became available in the North West constituency of Gorton and Denton.

Mr Burnham put himself forward to run for Labour in the historically safe seat, but was blocked by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

Despite the government insisting the move was down to the potential cost of a Manchester mayoral election, critics accused Sir Keir and his allies of preventing the candidacy for factional reasons and out of fear of a leadership challenge.

However, allies say he has a plan to return as an MP. And his team is reported to have lined up an “impressive” candidate to replace him as mayor – potentially removing Sir Keir’s reason to block him.

Angela Rayner

Rumours about the Ashton-under-Lyne MP’s ambitions have been circling from the moment she resigned from Sir Keir’s cabinet last September, when it was revealed she had underpaid stamp duty on her Brighton flat.

Once the prime minister’s No 2, Rayner is popular on the soft left of the party and has been named as one of the MPs most likely to stage a coup.

Earlier this year, she launched what was widely seen as her clearest challenge to Sir Keir, when she warned Labour is “running out of time” to deliver change and cannot “go through the motions in the face of decline”.

Rumours of a joint bid with Andy Burnham were sparked after she met with the Greater Manchester mayor amid rumblings of a challenge to Sir Keir.

Working with the Greater Manchester mayor could prove essential for Ms Rayner, who is trailing behind him in popularity polls, with only 15 per cent of voters believing she’d do a better job than Sir Keir.

But there have been mixed signals about whether the former deputy prime minister wanted to oust Sir Keir altogether, or just rejoin his cabinet.

In December, the prime minister described Ms Rayner as “hugely talented” and said he would like to see her return to his front bench.

And in what was seen as a last-ditch attempt to secure his position ahead of the elections, Sir Keir reportedly offered Rayner a spot back in his cabinet.

However, her intervention on Sunday appeared to show support for Mr Burnham, when she told the prime minister that blocking the mayor’s bid to stand in Gorton and Denton was a mistake.

In a stark warning to Sir Keir, she added: “Labour exists to make working people better off. That is not happening fast enough, and it needs to change, now.”

Either way, it is unlikely she will be able to make a move until after the investigation into her tax affairs has been settled, which is expected to be in the coming weeks.

Wes Streeting

The health secretary is considered to be the most likely candidate to replace Sir Keir from within the sitting cabinet.

He is understood to have the backing of enough Labour MPs to launch a leadership bid, having recruited more than 81 MPs – the minimum required to trigger a leadership election.

Sir Keir was reportedly alerted to Mr Streeting’s intentions when a Downing Street staff member was accidentally texted details of his bid, including the “five pillars” of his campaign and his “PFG”, meaning plan for government.

In the centre-right of the party, he is a charismatic cabinet minister who is able to connect with the public.

Chatter about a potential leadership bid grew louder towards the end of last year, amid a briefing war targeting the health secretary over his perceived ambitions to succeed Sir Keir.

He has previously voiced his concerns about the direction of the government, and hit out at a “toxic culture” in No 10 when the briefings against him were made public in November.

Earlier this year, as questions around Sir Keir’s future reached fever pitch, the health secretary took the controversial decision to publish communications between himself and Lord Mandelson, which contained severe criticism of the PM’s economic and Middle East policies.

The publication broke collective responsibility and would normally lead to a sacking, but Mr Streeting justified it by saying it was necessary to deal with “smears” that had been made about his relationship with the disgraced former Labour peer.

The main obstacle facing Mr Streeting is the perception among some Labour factions that he is too far to the right of the party, and the general feeling that he does not have enough backing to launch a successful bid.

His public popularity ratings are also low, with only 13 per cent of voters thinking he’d do a better job than Sir Keir.

Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband has emerged as an unexpected contender to be the prime minister, more than 10 years since he led the party to defeat in the 2015 general election.

But in his time away from the leadership, the energy secretary has carved a niche for himself as the party’s top advocate for green energy and net zero.

Surprisingly popular among young people on social media, speculation has been rife that Mr Miliband is preparing an attempt to make a comeback as leader.

The recent Mandelson scandal has seen him grow increasingly critical of the government, telling broadcasters last week that he had raised concerns about the appointment with David Lammy at the time.

A Miliband supporter told The Independent recently: “He has the energy and enthusiasm. He is loved by younger members of the party. He is a new man from when he was last leader.”

Despite the noise, Mr Miliband has denied he is eyeing a leadership bid, and polling also suggests only 13 per cent of voters think he’d do a better job than the current prime minister.

Police have received multiple calls from residents in the area find metal ball bearings

Police are investigating “several suspicious incidents” in which metal ball bearings were used to damage a car and a property along a street in Haverfordwest. A blue Range Rover Evoque was targeted along with a home on Glenfields Road.

Damage has been caused to the wingmirror of the vehicle and officers suspect metal ball bearings may have been used to cause the damage. The damage is believed to have taken place sometime between 11.10am and 11.20am on Sunday, May 10 morning.

Two days later on Tuesday, May 12 at around 2.30pm the window of a property on Glenfields Road was also reported to have been hit by a suspected metal ball bearing. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

Officers from Dyfed-Powys Police are appealing for more information regarding the two incidents as they continue to investigate.

A spokesperson for the force said: “Officers are investigating reports of criminal damage on Glenfields Road, Haverfordwest, following several suspicious incidents reported in the area.

“Local officers continue to engage with residents in the area, following a number of calls reporting the discovery of ball bearings in the Glenfields Road and Old Hakin Road area of Haverfordwest.

“If you have witnessed anything, or have any information that can support our investigation, please get in touch. Quote ref: 26*375605”

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice

Suren Thiru, chief economist for the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales), said: “This strong first quarter is probably the high point for the economy this year with output likely to halve in the second quarter as surging energy costs suffocate activity, despite a short-term boost from firms stockpiling in anticipation of shortages and price rises.”

Asked if she was worried about the impact of a potential leadership race on the economic policies she has been working on these past few years, she said: “Labour MPs have got an important decision to make today, but the numbers show that the economy is growing and that when we entered this conflict, our economy was growing strongly because of the decisions that I have made as chancellor, we shouldn’t put that at risk.”

How to respond when kids swear at you

The man breached a court order five times, sending emails, flowers, and turning up at her local pub

A man from Cambridge who would not leave his ex alone, bombarding her with messages, flowers and breaking a court restraining order five times, has now been jailed.

Daniel Wilson, 38, of Neptune Close, Cambridge, was handed a non‑molestation order and a restraining order last year, both prohibiting him from contacting the victim in any way. But Wilson totally disregarded the court order and even approached the victim in her local pub, where he threatened her and her new partner.

In the first of five breaches, Wilson went to the victim’s local pub at about 7.45pm on December 12. When the victim confronted him, Wilson, who was holding a glass, turned to her and threatened, “keep staring at me and I will smash this glass in your face”.

On Christmas Day, Wilson emailed the victim, wishing her a happy Christmas. He later sent another email stating, “All I wanted for Christmas is you, but I never got it.”

In a third breach four days later, he emailed again, writing, “Tell me you’re fully happy with your life now and I’ll leave you alone.” He then sent a further message saying, “I’m getting you back if it’s the last thing I do.”

On February 5 this year, Wilson returned to the victim’s local pub. While there, he became abusive towards his ex’s partner, telling him “to watch yourself,” before cycling away.

On Valentine’s Day, Wilson sent the victim a bouquet of flowers with a card signed, “Love Daniel”. Later that month, Wilson was arrested at his home.

In an attempt to avoid further consequences, Daniel made a bid to encourage his ex-partner from continuing with her case. While at Parkside Police Station in Cambridge, he made a phone call to a relative and was overheard saying, “tell her to drop this.”

On Thursday, May 7, at Cambridge Crown Court, Wilson was sentenced to one year and four months in prison. He pleaded guilty to harassment by breach of a restraining order, breach of a non‑molestation order, and common assault.

A charge of stalking involving serious alarm or distress, and a charge of committing acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice, were ordered to lie on file. Wilson was also handed a further ten‑year restraining order.

DC Luisa McCready, who investigated, said: “Wilson repeatedly ignored court orders designed to protect the victim and instead continued a sustained course of unwanted and intimidating behaviour.

“His actions were persistent, controlling and entirely unacceptable, and would have caused significant distress and fear. Breaching non‑molestation and restraining orders is a serious offence, and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those who believe they are above the law.

“I hope this sentence provides the victim with reassurance and the space she needs to move forward and serves as a clear message that harassment and stalking will not be tolerated.”

When WCDG began in 1972, there was no residential property on the South Bank, says Ball, with River Court, 600 flats beside Blackfriars Bridge, the first development, followed in the 1980s by projects in Coin Street and the 1990s by County Hall. “The South Bank itself used to be wharfs with dense housing one block back from the river,” he says. “There was, and still is, 19th-century housing on York Road, Stamford Street and Southwark Street, plus council housing. In 1980, 65 per cent of homes in Waterloo were council homes with a further 25 per cent on protected rent. Much social housing around Waterloo Station has been lost. The area on the far side is still primarily social rent housing.” Council housing increases the further you head into Lambeth.