Is Keir Starmer Facing A Leadership Crisis In UK? PM Makes BIG Statement To Clear Rumours

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that he expects to remain in office this time next year, dismissing speculation about a possible leadership challenge despite low poll numbers. Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Starmer said it was not in the national interest to “chop and change” the country’s leader, contrasting his stance with the frequent leadership turnovers seen under the previous Conservative government.

His Labour Party, which won a landslide victory in the 2024 general election, is now trailing the populist Reform UK in opinion polls just 18 months later.

The remarks come as Starmer’s personal approval ratings have fallen to historic lows, with Labour gearing up for local elections in England, Wales and Scotland in May.

Starmer said the elections would not be a “referendum” on his government, but Labour would “fight for every vote”.

Asked if there were any circumstances in which he could stand down if a poor showing prompted a challenge to his leadership, he said he would stay the course.

“Under the last government we saw constant chopping and changing of leadership, of teams — it caused utter chaos, utter chaos, and it’s amongst the reasons that the Tories (Conservatives) were booted out so effectively at the last election,” he said.

“Nobody wants to go back to that. It’s not in our national interest. We know from that evidence what happens if you go down that chaotic path, and I’m not going to take us back to that kind of chaos.”

Conservative lawmakers in effect forced Prime Minister Boris Johnson to stand down in 2022, resulting in the premiership of Liz Truss, the shortest in British history. She was replaced by Rishi Sunak, who led the party to defeat in 2024.

Starmer said in a New Year message on Thursday that life for many Britons was still “harder than it should be”, but people would start to see positive changes in public services and improvements in the cost of living this year.

“I will be judged, and I know I’ll be judged, when we get to the next election on whether I’ve delivered on the key things that matter most to people,” he told Kuenssberg.

(With Reuters Inputs)

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