Newspaper headlines: 'Cabinet turns on Starmer' and 'You have been murdered'

Published: May 12, 2026 4:53 AM • Updated: May 12, 2026 8:08 AM • Original source

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Speculation about the prime minister's future dominates the front pages of today's newspapers - each one finding its own way of describing the political peril he is facing.

The Daily Express says Sir Keir Starmer is "teetering on the edge", while the Sun describes his premiership as being "in freefall". The Daily Mirror reports that Labour is "in crisis", with the paper quoting one No 10 source as saying: "It's over. I don't think he's coming back from this."

Labour insiders tell the Daily Mail that the UK's "lame-duck leader" was visited by senior ministers last night, who told him that "his time is up". According to the Guardian - alongside Shabana Mahmood - they included the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper. The Deputy Prime <inister, David Lammy, and the Defence Secretary, John Healey, are also said to have urged Sir Keir to take a "responsible, dignified and orderly" approach to what might follow. The paper says several other ministers told him to fight on. But a government source tells the i Paper that the number of loyalists in the cabinet is shrinking. The Daily Telegraph says the ministerial interventions are "likely to be a fatal blow" to the prime minister. In its sketch, the paper says he "appears to be destined to go with a civilised whimper, not a bang".

The Express reports that both the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, and the former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, could launch bids to replace Sir Keir as soon as today in a "leadership coup". According to the Financial Times, there are signs that allies of Streeting "are moving to destabilise" him. It says a "swift" leadership contest would suit the health secretary, because his main rival - the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham - is currently unable to stand. Streeting's allies tell the Times he is waiting for 81 Labour MPs - 20% of the parliamentary party - to publicly call for the prime minister to go, before launching his challenge. But another of his supporters says that "Wes won't beat Burnham, so if he doesn't go for it now, he's screwed".

Both Streeting and Rayner are depicted on the front page of the Daily Star in hooded cloaks, as they are likened to contestants on the reality show The Traitors. The headline reads: "Dear PM, by order of the Traitors, you have been murdered."