Not Reeves, Rayner or Streeting — worst individual to exchange Keir Starmer | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer’s grip on the Labour management has come underneath rising pressure amid the fallout from the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal — however who would his worst-case successor be? The Prime Minister’s favourability scores have dropped significantly since his election in 2024, with 69% of Britons holding a adverse view of him as of April 2026, in keeping with YouGov. Dwindling public help might see Labour take a beating on the upcoming May native elections, with current polling placing the occasion in fourth place on simply 16% of the vote, behind the Conservatives, Reform UK and the Greens.

Electoral losses coupled with cupboard divisions over Sir Keir’s dealing with of the Mandelson vetting course of might set in movement a management problem, with former Deputy PM Angela Rayner, her alternative David Lammy and ‘King of the North’ Andy Burnham mentioned to be among the many high contenders. According to Express readers, the prospect of any of the above figures shifting into 10 Downing Street can be preferable to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, nevertheless, who they named the worst individual to guide the nation by a margin of over 1,000 votes.

Mr Miliband has been probably the most outstanding public figures in Sir Keir’s Government since his occasion’s ascension to energy, pushing ahead along with his formidable clear power plans, together with the deliberate rollout of renewables and electrifying heating and transport to get houses and companies off gasoline fuels.

He has additionally been among the many Labour figures distancing themselves from the Prime Minister’s resolution to nominate Mandelson to the UK’s most vital diplomatic put up regardless of his hyperlinks to Jeffrey Epstein, his lobbying work and his document of being sacked from Government twice.

Mr Miliband stopped wanting saying Sir Keir ought to resign throughout an look on Sky News this week, however admitted he was “worried” concerning the Labour chief’s judgement and agreed that Mandelson “should never have been appointed”.

“I think Prime Ministers make errors,” he added. “Prime Ministers are fallible. Prime Ministers are human.”

The Government’s high internet zero zealot obtained 3,926 votes from Express readers after they have been requested who the worst individual to exchange Keir Starmer can be, adopted by former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who stepped down after breaching the ministerial code over her tax affairs in September, with 2,655.

Sitting Deputy PM David Lammy got here in third place, with 1,263 votes, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves trailing in fourth with 432.

Fewer readers objected to the prospect of Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham succeeding the Prime Minister, with simply 194 votes, though he would wish to safe a parliamentary seat earlier than mounting a management problem.

In sixth place was Health Secretary Wes Streeting, one other potential challenger, with 160 votes, adopted by Home Secretary turned Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, with 89.