Prime Minister Starmer speaking on the 11th [AP/PA Yonhap News]

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared he will remain in office despite a crushing defeat in the local elections, but a party rebellion is unlikely to subside easily.

The Times reported on the afternoon of the 11th (local time) that 51 Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) had not expressed confidence in Prime Minister Starmer. The BBC reported that at least 44 had called for Starmer's resignation, while another 20 held a critical stance, though not explicitly demanding resignation.

In the Labour Party, if the leader does not voluntarily resign, a current MP who garners the support of over 20% of MPs must challenge the leader. With 403 Labour MPs currently, a minimum of 81 must rally around a single contender.

This structure makes leadership change due to internal rebellion more difficult than in the Conservative Party, where a no-confidence vote can be initiated by 15% of MPs, followed by an election for the next leader.

The Conservative government has seen five Prime Ministers in the past 14 years: David Cameron (2010-2016), Theresa May (2016-2019), Boris Johnson (2019-2022), Liz Truss (2022), and Rishi Sunak (2022-2024). Notably, 2022 experienced significant turmoil with three Prime Ministers changing within a single year.

There have not been many changes of incumbent Prime Ministers in Labour governments. Tony Blair (1997-2007) resigned due to declining public opinion over the Iraq War and pressure from Gordon Brown's faction (2007-2010), but he had served a long tenure. The situation is different for Prime Minister Starmer, who has been in office for less than two years.

Prime Minister Starmer has clearly stated on several occasions since the local elections on the 7th that he will not resign voluntarily. In his speech on the 11th, he acknowledged the public's frustration and disappointment while desperately trying to win back party sentiment by promising to bring about change in national affairs "better and more boldly."

However, assessments suggest this is insufficient to reverse the fate of Prime Minister Starmer, whose approval ratings have plummeted due to public disappointment with his handling of the economy, taxes, prices, and immigration, as well as controversy over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the US.

A close aide to the Prime Minister told the BBC, "There were no concrete measures on the cost of living, the economy, immigration, or national defense."

Prominent Labour figures during the June 2024 general election campaign. Second from left is Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and third is former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner [AP Yonhap News Archive Photo]

Catherine West, a former Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who had stated she would challenge for party leadership if no one else did, criticized Starmer's speech immediately after, calling it "too lacking and too late."

However, West has since shifted her stance, abandoning an immediate call for a leadership contest and instead proposing an opening for a September contest, and is gathering a list of MPs who support this approach.

This would open an opportunity for Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and a prominent Labour figure, to challenge for party leadership. Burnham, who is not a current MP and therefore not eligible to challenge immediately, would have gained time to aim for a parliamentary by-election seat.

Angela Rayner, former Deputy Prime Minister and another influential figure within the party, while not directly challenging Starmer, pressured him with a statement saying, "The Prime Minister is at a moment when he must deliver the changes our country needs."

Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, who has been mentioned as a potential contender, has also not yet issued a formal challenge to Prime Minister Starmer.

Starmer's supporters are arguing that changing the leader will not solve Labour's crisis of being rejected by the public as a governing party and will only exacerbate internal turmoil.

Lucy Powell, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, told the BBC, "The Prime Minister faces the most attacks, but we all have a responsibility to turn the situation around," and when asked if Starmer would remain in his position at the end of this month, she replied, "Yes."