London

Keir Starmer is set to pledge closer cooperation between the United Kingdom and the European Union as he faces growing calls to step down following heavy local election losses for the governing Labour Party.

In a speech scheduled for Monday, Starmer is expected to say his government will “face up to the big challenges” and restore hope, with his office describing one of his priorities as “putting Britain at the heart of Europe” — nearly a decade after Britain voted to leave the EU in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Starmer’s position has become increasingly fragile, with dozens of Labour lawmakers reportedly urging him to announce a timeline for his departure after disappointing election results across England, Scotland and Wales.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, widely viewed as a potential successor, stopped short of directly calling for Starmer’s resignation but said “what we are doing isn’t working, and it needs to change.”

Rayner criticised what she described as “a toxic culture of cronyism” and urged the government to reconnect with Labour’s social democratic values while addressing cost-of-living pressures.

Labour’s setbacks come less than two years after Starmer led the party to a landslide national victory. Since then, his administration has faced criticism over economic stagnation, pressure on public services, welfare policy reversals and controversial appointments, including that of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to Washington.

Recent elections also saw Labour lose support to both Reform UK on the right and the Green Party on the left, underscoring the growing fragmentation of British politics.

A key element of Starmer’s political recovery strategy is strengthening post-Brexit ties with the EU. Britain formally left the bloc in 2020, four years after the referendum.

His government has already moved to ease trade barriers affecting British businesses and is seeking a youth mobility agreement that would allow young people to work across Europe for limited periods.

Starmer has, however, ruled out rejoining the EU, the customs union or the single market.

Among other figures seen as potential successors — including Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham — none has publicly called for his resignation so far.

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However, Labour MP Josh Simons has argued that Starmer “has lost the country” and should oversee an orderly transition, while former junior minister Catherine West has threatened to push for a leadership contest unless Starmer delivers a convincing case for his leadership.