Starmer has long been under pressure from low opinion polls, but the situation has been brought to a head by challenger Andy Burnham taking a seat in the House of Commons on Monday. Sitting in Parliament is a requirement to become Labour Party leader and prime minister.
Britain has now had six prime ministers in a decade, and Starmer is believed to be keen to hand over in an orderly manner. The hope is that the successor will be able to stabilise public opinion. If so, the popular Burnham would need time before taking office.
Andy doesn't have a team ready to move into Downing Street, he needs time to prepare, a minister told The Guardian anonymously.
Logically, it would be best for both Andy and Keir for it to happen in September.
In that case, Burnham could make a symbolic restart of the leadership of the country when the social democratic Labour Party holds its annual party conference, in Liverpool on September 27–30.
But an underlying question is also whether it will be what is called a coronation, that is, Burnham taking over without any opposition candidates. Previously, the recently resigned minister Wes Streeting has signaled that he wants to run in the party's leadership election. Female figures such as Angela Rayner are also said to be considering running, to prevent the election from becoming a purely male power struggle.
