Catherine West has clarified her position regarding an immediate challenge to Keir Starmer's leadership, opting for a structured timeline rather than an impulsive revolt.
She admitted she had given little thought to running for prime minister herself before delivering her ultimatum to Starmer on Saturday.. “The benefit of doing it this way is, the whole way I’ve maintained I’m not supporting a particular camp.. But if I was going to do it, it would be my camp wouldn’t it?. And I have had somebody say I’ll be your chief of staff, you’ve got to run for PM.. But that
would require a lot more thought on my part,” she said.. West clarified she wants a contest to “begin soon, but finish by September” — contrary to what she said in her letter to MPs.. “I shouldn’t have written ‘in’ [September], I should have written ‘by’,” she said of her letter to MPs.. West said she would not make the names of those calling for the leadership contest public “for now,” giving MPs more cover
to challenge the PM without going for a more high-stakes and public option.. She would update Labour Party Chair Anna Turley before asking if she could make MPs’ names public, she said.
Keir Starmer, Labour Party, Catherine West, leadership challenge, UK politics, Anna Turley