{"text":[[{"start":8.9,"text":"Sir Keir Starmer could announce he is quitting Downing Street as early as next week, some ministers believe, as the UK prime minister faces intense pressure to set a timetable for his exit."}],[{"start":23.6,"text":"Number 10 insisted on Sunday morning that Starmer would fight for his job, but a series of cabinet colleagues and his chief whip have warned him that support is draining away, while Andy Burnham waits in the wings."}],[{"start":35.45,"text":"One minister close to Starmer predicted the prime minister would leave in an orderly way: “I think there will be a peaceful agreement, although nothing is done and dusted until it is.”"}],[{"start":47.050000000000004,"text":"A number of cabinet members have told the FT that they would tell Starmer over the weekend to set an orderly timetable for a transition or risk a full-scale revolt at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting."}],[{"start":59.150000000000006,"text":"“If he hasn’t said he is going by then, let’s see who turns up,” said one minister. Heidi Alexander, transport secretary, was the first cabinet member to tell Starmer to quit on Friday."}],[{"start":71,"text":"Burnham, who was elected MP for Makerfield in the north of England in a by-election this week, will return to Westminster on Monday. His camp has been urging Starmer to announce a timetable for his exit."}],[{"start":83.7,"text":"But Downing Street said on Sunday: “The position is unchanged from the prime minister’s determination to fight [on] Friday.”"}],[{"start":91.05,"text":"Starmer has been warned by his chief whip that a growing number of Labour MPs want him to set a timetable for his departure and he is spending the weekend agonising over his future, less than two years after winning a landslide general election victory."}],[{"start":105.64999999999999,"text":"Chief whip Jonathan Reynolds told the premier that there were increasing demands by Labour MPs for an orderly transition of power to a new leader, according to officials briefed on Starmer’s talks with colleagues. A spokesperson for Reynolds did not comment."}],[{"start":119.94999999999999,"text":"Reynolds is not the first senior MP to warn Starmer. Lisa Nandy, culture secretary and an ally of Burnham, told Downing Street “weeks ago” that if the Greater Manchester mayor won in Makerfield the prime minister would lose control of the Parliamentary Labour Party, a person familiar with those conversations told the FT. "}],[{"start":138.79999999999998,"text":"“The people around him seem to have come to terms with it,” said one senior member of Burnham’s team. "}],[{"start":144.49999999999997,"text":"But on Friday Starmer insisted he would fight any challenge and told colleagues he would be “in it to win it”."}],[{"start":151.94999999999996,"text":"He is spending the weekend talking to ministerial colleagues, friends and family about whether he should fight on. The advice of loyal ministers such as Pat McFadden, work and pensions secretary, and education secretary Bridget Phillipson will be particularly influential."}],[{"start":168.09999999999997,"text":"His allies said that he was gearing up for a fight, including lining up office space, a website and funding to fight a leadership contest."}],[{"start":177.34999999999997,"text":"“We’re doing planning on what the first two weeks of the campaign would look like,” said one colleague of the prime minister. "}],[{"start":182.94999999999996,"text":"More than 100 Labour MPs have called for Starmer to resign, a quarter of the parliamentary party. "}],[{"start":191.14999999999995,"text":"There are 403 Labour MPs, but 163 of them have government jobs and would have to resign if they called for Starmer to go. Many of those on the “payroll vote” privately want him to quit. "}],[{"start":203.24999999999994,"text":"Lord Charlie Falconer, a Labour grandee, told the BBC on Saturday: “We have to move as quickly as possible to resolve the position [which] is completely unmaintainable for the country — we have a prime minister who’s got absolutely no authority.”"}],[{"start":217.84999999999994,"text":"Alan Johnson, former home secretary, said his message to the prime minister would be: “It’s over, Keir.” "}],[{"start":224.74999999999994,"text":"Burnham and Wes Streeting, former health secretary, are expected to hold talks over the coming days about what should happen next. "}],[{"start":232.24999999999994,"text":"The two men are friends and some allies of Streeting expect him to strike a deal with Burnham, dropping his leadership bid in exchange for a top cabinet job. Some have suggested he could be offered the position of chancellor."}],[{"start":245.14999999999995,"text":"Starmer has urged Burnham and Streeting not to launch a leadership contest."}],[{"start":249.79999999999995,"text":"One normally loyal minister described Starmer’s protestations of defiance as playing for time in the slim hope that Burnham imploded."}],[{"start":259.15,"text":"Other MPs expressed frustration with senior ministers for being slow to take responsibility for deciding who should lead the country. “A lot of people need to remember they were elected to make decisions,” said one MP who backs Streeting."}],[{"start":273.2,"text":"“Cabinet colleagues need to put their red folders down, walk to Downing Street and do the decent and honourable thing: tell the prime minister unambiguously it’s over.” "}],[{"start":289.65000000000003,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1782027723_4896.mp3"}