Labour unions warn Starmer cannot lead party into next election

Labour’s affiliated unions have moved the party’s post-election crisis from grumbling to open pressure, signalling that Sir Keir Starmer’s problem may no longer be only his leadership style but the direction of the party itself. Through the Trade Union Labour Organisation, the unions were expected to say that Starmer cannot lead Labour into the next general election and that the party “cannot continue on its current path”.

Starmer has tried to shut down the speculation. After Labour’s poor showing in the local and devolved elections on 1 May 2026, he said he would not walk away and insisted the party should focus on delivery rather than a leadership contest. But the damage from those results was severe: Labour lost nearly 1,500 councillors in England and lost control of the Welsh parliament, handing opponents a fresh argument that the party has not yet found a convincing route back to voters.

The union warning matters because Labour’s affiliated unions remain one of the party’s main sources of organisational power, money and internal legitimacy. Their intervention comes as MPs and ministers increasingly question whether Starmer can recover before the next Westminster election. By 11 May, more than 40 Labour MPs had reportedly called for him to resign or set out a departure timetable, and later reports put the number of MPs publicly calling for him to stand down at more than 70, with some estimates rising close to 100. Starmer’s allies say no formal leadership challenge has been triggered, which still requires the party’s internal process to be activated, but the scale of the revolt has already altered the calculus.

For now, the battle inside Labour looks like a test of leverage. Some in the party appear to want a change of leader; others are pressing for a policy reset strong enough to steady the party before the next round of elections in England, Wales and Scotland in 2026. The unions’ public break with Starmer suggests the pressure may be aimed at both: a new course for Labour, and a warning that the current leader may not be trusted to take it.