Half of the UK thinks Starmer should step down as Labour leader
Just over half of Britons think that Prime Minister Keir Starmer should stand down as leader of the Labour party and let someone else take over.
This is according to a YouGov survey conducted on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, the same day that Starmer defended his Downing Street team at Prime Minister’s Questions after they were accused of briefing against potential leadership challenges from Labour MPs.
The YouGov poll shows that 27% of adults in the UK think Starmer should remain Labour leader, while 51% of all surveyed believe he should stand down and let someone else take over.
If Starmer were to stand down as Labour leader, he would also be removed from his post as Prime Minister after a replacement candidate had been elected.
Starmer has signalled that he will fight any attempt to oust him from the Labour leadership, including by prominent Labour MPs such as Wes Streeting, who was the subject of aggressive briefing by Downing Street earlier this week.
Following the extraordinary briefing from Downing Street, Starmer has faced increasing pressure to remove Morgan McSweeney, his chief of staff, from his post at No 10.
When asked during PMQs if he still had complete confidence in McSweeney, Starmer said his government was united and that his team was focused on delivering for the country.
While Starmer has said he will fight off challenges to his leadership rather than step down, he may face difficult opposition in a leadership election.
If 20% of the Labour party’s MPs support a replacement candidate, they can trigger a contest for the party leadership.
Under a Labour leadership contest, Starmer would automatically be on the ballot paper, and Labour affiliates outside the direct party would also be able to vote, including trade unions.
Recent polling shows that Starmer’s satisfaction ratings have reached record lows, with only 13% of people satisfied with the way he is doing his job as Prime Minister.
With 79% dissatisfied with the Prime Minister’s performance, the lowest satisfaction rating for any Prime Minister than 1977, Starmer is already facing headwinds as the country is soon to grapple with a difficult Budget.
Now, with potential threats to his leadership surfacing, his position as Labour leader and Prime Minister looks far less stable going into the end of the year.
