Who could replace Keir Starmer? Runners and riders for next Labour leader as Rayner odds tumble

Sir Keir Starmer is facing the political battle of his life as rivals prepare to swoop for the top Labour job.

More than 90 Labour MPs have now called for the Prime Minister to resign, sparking speculation about possible successors.

The political turmoil took a dramatic twist on Thursday with the resignation of Wes Streeting as health secretary.

However the Prime Minister is refusing to bow to calls for him to leave, telling his Cabinet earlier in the week he will fight on.

Here are the runners and riders to become the next leader of the Labour Party.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester is seen as a leftwing favourite. However, Mr Burnham is not an MP and therefore his road to become Labour leader is longer and more complicated than other candidates.

A sitting MP would have to stand down for him and force a by-election. Mr Burnham would then have to be selected as the Labour candidate, fight the election and win before he could officially launch his leadership challenge.

Despite the hurdles, Mr Burnham is among the favourites in the succession race at 3/1.

The Health Secretary is seen as a good communicator and media performer.

He is a favourite among the right of the party and many of his allies have already publicly called for the PM to go.

But the Ilford North MP is unpopular with the left.

Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell accused Mr Streeting of launching a coup against Sir Keir.

The left-winger said: “I called for time for serious discussion, no precipitous coup & fully democratic process if leadership election.

“Instead Wes Streeting has launched coup for fear of a democratic process and whilst candidates are blocked. Handing leadership to Mandelson’s protege is gift to Reform.”

His odds are around 5/1.

The former deputy prime minister is another preferred choice of the left.

Ms Rayner is seen by some as an antidote to Sir Keir’s technocratic style of leadership that has alienated voters.

She faced the obstacle of an HMRC investigation for underpaying £40,000 of stamp duty.

However, Ms Rayner revealed on Thursday that she has been cleared, paving the way for a potential leadership challenge.

Some bookmakers are now making her the narrow favourite at 11/4.

The Energy Secretary is reportedly being urged to run by left wing MPs who believe Ms Rayner does not have the support needed.

He is seen by some as the only viable candidate who could prevent Mr Streeting winning the leadership.

The Doncaster North MP has reportedly told Sir Keir to lay out the plan for his resignation in order to avoid chaos.

He was leader of the Labour Party and from 2010 until 2015, when he stepped down after a disappointing general election showing.

He is 7/2.

The Home Secretary is among a number of cabinet ministers urging Sir Keir to set out a timetable for his resignation.

The Birmingham Ladywood MP is said to have privately called for an orderly transition of power.

She is 10/1 to be the next Labour leader.

The Foreign Secretary went into Number 10 to speak to the PM on Monday night. But it is believed she has not joined some of her cabinet colleagues in calling for him to set out a resignation timetable.

Ms Cooper is one of the longer serving cabinet members, having first become an MP in 1997.

She held numerous ministerial roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including Chief Secretary to the Treasury, as well as extensive shadow cabinet roles.

She is 16/1

Decorated former marine Alistair Carns emerged as a wildcard contender to succeed Sir Keir earlier this year.

The Armed Forces minister is increasingly being discussed by backbenchers as a potential successor despite first becoming an MP at the July 2024 general election.

In 2011, Carns was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry. He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours and received the Distinguished Service Order in 2024.

He is 10/1 according to Bet365.

The former cabinet minister and ally of Mr Burnham is another outsider.

After being sacked as Leader of the House of Commons in a reshuffle last year she won the deputy leadership race in October when Ms Rayner was forced to resign over her stamp duty scandal.

Since then the Manchester Central MP has been loyal to Sir Keir.

But if a quick leadership contest is called, and Mr Miliband is does not stand, she could be seen as the Labour soft left’s preferred candidate.

She is 40/1.