London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 04, 2026

Sir Keir Starmer enters race

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed he is standing in the contest to replace Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader.

The shadow Brexit secretary, seen as a frontrunner in the contest, has written in the Sunday Mirror that Labour needs to "rebuild fast" to restore trust.

It comes hours after MPs Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips said they were entering the race.

The contest was called after Mr Corbyn announced he would stand down as leader after Labour's heavy election defeat.

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry and shadow treasury minister Clive Lewis have also confirmed they are standing.

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, seen as another potential frontrunner, is also expected to officially join the contest.


'Rebuild and win'

Declaring his candidacy in the Sunday Mirror while releasing a video on Twitter, Sir Keir said Labour needed to listen to voters if it was to "restore trust".


Sir Keir, who backed Remain in the EU referendum and was one of the leading figures in the party advocating for a new referendum, will kick off his leadership bid by visiting Brexit-backing Stevenage on Sunday.

Some of Mr Corbyn's allies have blamed Sir Keir's Brexit stance for the party's disastrous election performance last month, where much of its traditional, Leave-backing Northern strongholds fell to the Conservatives.

"We cannot bury our head in the sand: Labour must rebuild and fast. We have to restore trust in our party as a force for change and a force for good," Sir Keir wrote in the paper.

"The millions of people who needed change at the last election still need change. The moral fight against poverty, inequality and injustice must continue."

However, Sir Keir said Labour could not "lose sight of our values or retreat from the radicalism of the past few years".

Among other things, he said the party should push for a "Green New Deal" to fight climate change and make the case for a "radically transformed economy that empowers trade unions and communities that have been left behind".

And he also called for a "human rights approach" to foreign policy and international relations, accusing ministers of "failing to hold an irresponsible US president to account" over the situation in Iran.

A timetable for the leadership election - and any rule changes - is set to be decided by the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) on Monday.

Under current rules, would-be candidates for both the leader and deputy leader roles must first be nominated by more than 20 MPs.

They must also secure nominations from at least 5% of Labour's constituency parties or three affiliated bodies - two of which must be trade unions.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Consults International Partners on Maritime Trade Security and Energy Market Stability
Rare Revolutionary-Era Documents Discovered by UK Archives and Undergoing Authentication
UK Consumer Confidence Remains Deep in Negative Territory as Household Spending Stays Cautious
Transport for London Warns of Severe Disruption as Major Events Converge in Central London
NHS and Social Care Sectors Face Ongoing Recruitment Shortages Amid Persistent Workforce Gaps
Rising Energy Costs Drive Price Pressures Across UK Retail and Service Sectors
Competition and Markets Authority Expands Review of Artificial Intelligence Impact on UK Media Markets
UK Parliamentary Committees Intensify Scrutiny of National Security and Industrial Policy Legislation
Bank of England Faces Persistent Inflation Pressure as Rate Cut Expectations Fade
UK Public Finances Under Pressure as Borrowing Exceeds Forecast and Debt Nears 95% of GDP
Major Police Deployment Across Central London as Mass Demonstrations and Pride Parade Converge
Large-Scale Police Dispersal Powers Activated in Liverpool Ahead of Anti-Immigration Protests and Counter-Demonstrations
Luxury bags take over the World Cup: style, status symbol, or just showing off?
National Productivity Institute Highlights Weak Business Investment Outside Southern England
UK High Court Orders Reassessment of Environmental Impact in Major Highway Project
UK Cyber Security Centre Warns of Rising Threat From State-Sponsored Digital Espionage
UK Education Secretary Launches National Reform of Apprenticeships and Vocational Training
Financial Conduct Authority Tightens Climate Risk Disclosure Requirements for Listed Firms
Rail Union Suspends Planned Strike Action to Enter Formal Negotiations With Operators
Northern Ireland Businesses Seek Clarity Over Post-Brexit Trade Rules
Welsh Government Launches Regional Growth Plan Targeting Transport and Digital Infrastructure
North Sea Wind Sector Attracts £5 Billion Investment Amid Expansion of Offshore Capacity
Scotland and UK Governments Establish New Framework for Coordinated Investment in Energy and Infrastructure
UK Government Launches Major Immigration and Border Policy Overhaul Review
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates to Remain Elevated Despite Easing Inflation Pressures
National Health Service Warns of Severe Winter Capacity Strain Across Hospital Trusts
Chancellor Orders Urgent Treasury Review Amid Concerns Over Structural Public Finance Gap
Prime Minister Unveils Sweeping Legislative Programme Focused on Housing, Health Service Reform and State Energy Plan
UK Parliamentary Committee Launches Inquiry Into Falling Primary School Rolls and Public Service Impact
UK House of Lords Debates Electoral Commission Powers and Political Finance Reform
UK Parliament Considers Expanding Carbon Rules to International Aviation and Shipping Emissions
UK Traffic Commissioner Revokes Hampshire Haulage Operator Licence Over Regulatory Failures
UK Parliament Examines Risks in Public Contracts Awarded to Technology Firm Palantir
UK Competition Watchdog Moves Toward More Flexible Merger Rules to Support Efficiency and Growth
UK Government Seeks Approval for £1.15 Trillion Public Spending Plan Amid Scrutiny Over Department Budgets
UK Parliament Debates Sweeping National Security and Steel Industry Nationalisation Bills
UK Government Issues Formal Apology for Historic Forced Adoption Practices and Announces £4 Million Support Scheme
UK DEFENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY TILTS TOWARD SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY AND INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT
UK ECONOMIC POLICY OUTLOOK SHAPED BY LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AND FISCAL SIGNALS
STERLING STRENGTHENS AMID SHIFTING MONETARY OUTLOOK AND GLOBAL LABOUR MARKET SIGNALS
UK HPV VACCINATION PROGRAM NEARLY ELIMINATES CERVICAL CANCER DEATH RISK IN YOUNG WOMEN
UK EXPANDS PRISON SAFETY REVIEW AS GOVERNMENT SEEKS WIDER SYSTEM REFORM
UK DRIVES DIGITAL ASSETS STRATEGY WITH NEW STABLECOIN REGULATORY MODEL
UK TO EXPAND AI INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH NEW EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
UK LAUNCHES £15 BILLION DEFENCE TECH SHIFT TOWARD ADVANCED MILITARY SYSTEMS
CIVIL SERVICE FACES SHIFT IN POWER STRUCTURE AS REGIONAL GOVERNANCE PLANS EXPAND
WHITEHALL CONSIDERS MAJOR DECENTRALISATION PLAN WITH SECOND GOVERNMENT HUB IN MANCHESTER
UK TARGETS SERVICES EXPORT GROWTH IN TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA AMID GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS
POLICE WATCHDOG PROBES OFFICERS OVER HANDCUFFING OF DYING TEENAGER IN HAMPSHIRE CASE
UK REGULATORS UNVEIL DUAL OVERSIGHT FRAMEWORK FOR STABLECOINS AND DIGITAL ASSETS
×