Signs grow that Starmer will set out timetable to resign as mood in government shifts

Signs grow that Starmer will set out timetable to resign as mood in government shifts8 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNick Eardley,Political correspondentandHenry Zeffman,Chief political correspondentGetty / PA MediaThe signs are growing that Monday could see the prime minister set out a plan to stand down.Sir Keir Starmer has always insisted he will not walk away and will fight any leadership challenge.But the mood in government has shifted in the past 48 hours.Several government insiders now think that the prime minister could announce a timetable to quit - as soon as Monday.The signs were clear that things are moving quickly in what Business Secretary Peter Kyle told the BBC this morning.The prime minister, he said, would do "what is in the best interests of the country".Sir Keir, he added, was reflecting on the challenges he faces and political realities.The challenges for the prime minister have been steadily growing for some time.Follow live updatesLeadership uncertainty 'enormously disruptive', former top civil servant warnsLabour MPs argue the problem isn't necessarily the party, it's the man at the top. They believe the prime minister is personally unpopular - and that it is Sir Keir who is holding his party back.The result of the Makerfield by-election looks set to be straw that breaks the camel's back.Andy Burnham's victory wasn't even close - he beat Reform comfortably. For Labour MPs despairing about how they take the fight to Nigel Farage's party, they now have a leadership contender who can argue he has a track record of doing exactly that.Dozens of MPs had already said Sir Keir should quit. That list has grown since Thursday, with senior cabinet ministers adding their voices privately. The fact that it is known that ministers including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander have told the prime minister to go and yet they r...