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Keir Starmer will address the nation today as Wes Streeting set to twist the knife

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faces his first questions in the Commons since the resignation of his health secretary Wes Streeting and the by-election candidacy of s potential leadership challenge

[Another tough day for Starmer]

Another tough day for Starmer(Image: WPA Pool, Getty Images)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will confront his first Commons interrogation since his health secretary's departure and Andy Burnham's by-election candidacy heaped additional strain on his leadership today.

Starmer will face questioning from Kemi Badenoch and fellow MPs, while former cabinet minister Wes Streeting was also anticipated to deliver a resignation address in the chamber on Wednesday.

His midday clash with the Opposition leader marks the first since Parliament reconvened following the May polls that witnessed Labour endure devastating defeats and sparked growing demands for Sir Keir to step down.

[Streeting will ramp up the pressure]

Streeting will ramp up the pressure(Image: Max Mumby/Indigo, Getty Images)

This follows Mr Burnham's confirmation as the party's nominee in the Makerfield by-election, triggered after former minister Josh Simons stood aside to clear a route for the Greater Manchester Mayor's Westminster comeback.

It's believed the mayor was the sole individual put forward for selection by Labour's governing National Executive Committee, sidestepping a ballot by the constituency party.

The move establishes a battle between Mr Burnham and Reform UK's Robert Kenyon, a local tradesman who fought the constituency for the party in 2024.

Should he secure a return to Parliament, Mr Burnham is broadly anticipated to mount a challenge against Sir Keir for the Labour leadership, though the Prime Minister has maintained he will not "walk away" from Downing Street. Meanwhile, Mr Streeting, who slammed what he described as "drift" and a lack of direction within Government in a resignation letter last week, has also made it plain he plans to stand in any leadership battle.

Sir Keir has maintained he is "focused on the job" of governing and at a Downing Street reception for homelessness charities on Tuesday highlighted the Government's track record on renters' rights reforms as an example of "ripping up the failed status quo", steering clear of any reference to the chaos gripping the party in recent days.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Healey cautioned that Labour's "credibility in Government is at stake" in what appeared to be a warning against leadership manoeuvring among rivals seeking to topple the Prime Minister.

"I don't care about photo ops or PR firms. Politics to me is not about the individual. People will not forgive us if they think we're more concerned about ourselves than we are about them," he said.

But the upheaval persisted on Tuesday as former Welsh Labour first minister Mark Drakeford told Channel 4 News Sir Keir's position was "irrecoverable" and that he would back Mr Burnham to be his replacement.

Elsewhere, the mayor said he was "proud and humbled" to be selected, and pledged to ensure the voices of people in Makerfield were "heard loud and clear".

He has positioned himself as the candidate to "change Labour", using a campaign video to call for a "new path for Britain". The by-election could still present a challenging battle, with former MP Mr Simons securing victory in 2024 by a mere 5,399 votes while Reform convincingly won every ward in the constituency at last month's local elections.

Penning an article for the Daily Express, Mrs Badenoch criticised the Government for being "more interested in who will replace the Prime Minister than the job of governing the country".

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