Sir Keir Starmer is under increasing pressure as it has been revealed Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham met in secret on Friday (April 17). The pair are reportedly planning a leadership challenge against the existing Prime Minister.

Starmer remains in crisis following revelations that Peter Mandelson failed vetting checks before being appointed as the UK's ambassador to the United States in 2025. It emerged on Thursday (April 16) that the Foreign Office overruled advice from UK Security Vetting (UKSV) who recommended against granting him clearance.

It has now emerged that Mr Burnham, the Mayor of Manchester, held a secret meeting with the former deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary at around 6pm on Friday, purportedly to plot their leadership bid.

As reported by The Sun, a senior Labour MP said: "They will be carving it up. If Andy endorsed Angela for leader that will sway a lot of MPs to back her. Then she could get him a seat in Parliament and bring him straight into Cabinet.”

Another source said: "Everyone knows Angela and Andy both can’t run – they have to decide who is going to go for it. This is a nightmare for Keir just as the Mandelson scandal comes back to haunt him."