LONDON (AP) — Efforts to unseat British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are likely to break out into open rebellion Thursday, with one potential rival expected to announce his bid for the job and another clearing the way for her to enter any future leadership contest.
Allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting say he will make an announcement later in the day after garnering enough support from lawmakers of the governing Labour Party to challenge Starmer for leadership of the party and the government.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said Thursday that she had reached an agreement with tax authorities to clear up questions about her taxes that forced her to leave the Cabinet last September. Rayner told the Guardian newspaper that Starmer should “reflect on” his position, adding that she was ready to “play my part” in any leadership election if Streeting were to trigger a contest.
Pressure for Starmer to step aside or face a leadership challenge has intensified since the Labour Party suffered disastrous losses in local and regional elections last week, underscoring concerns that voters are frustrated with the slow pace of change under the current government.
Starmer has vowed to remain in office, warning lawmakers that any leadership contest would plunge the government into “chaos” at a time it should be focused on issues like the cost of living crisis and war in the Middle East.
Under Labour Party rules, any potential challenger to the prime minister would have to have the backing of 81 of the party’s 403 members in the House of Commons. More than that number have publicly called on Starmer to quit in recent days.
Streeting comes from the moderate wing of the left-leaning Labour Party, as does Starmer. Rayner is a favorite of many more leftwing voters, calling on the party to do more to boost the minimum wage and raise taxes on the rich.
But other potential candidates may enter any race for the leadership.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been widely discussed as a potential candidate, though he would have to find a way back into Parliament before he could run. Allies have suggested a sitting member of the House of Commons could resign to make way for Burnham to run in a special election.
Burnham canceled his regular Thursday appearance on a local BBC radio program this week to “prioritize discussions arising from last week’s elections.”
British Health Secretary Wes Streeting walks through the House of Commons to attend the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster, London, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Toby Melville/Pool Photo via AP)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, center, walks through the House of Commons to attend the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster, London, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Toby Melville/Pool Photo via AP)
Members of the King's Body Guards of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms arrive at the Sovereign's Entrance for the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords, in London, Wednesday May 13, 2026. (Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Foreign ministers from the BRICS nations began a two-day meeting in New Delhi on Thursday as the expanding bloc faces divisions over the war in Iran, rising energy prices and growing global economic uncertainty.
The meeting brings together diplomats from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa along with newer member countries. It comes as the war in Iran has disrupted global energy supplies and driven up oil prices and coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov are attending. China is represented by Ambassador Xu Feihong while Foreign Minister Wang Yi remains in the Chinese capital during Trump’s visit.
India Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the talks would focus on global and regional challenges and ways to deepen cooperation among member nations.
In opening remarks, Jaishankar said BRICS could help developing countries more effectively respond to the health and financing challenges they face as well as high prices for energy, food and fertilizer.
“We meet at a time of considerable flux in international relations,” he said, adding that emerging and developing countries increasingly expect BRICS to play a “constructive and stabilizing role.”
At the meeting, Araghchi urged BRICS nations to condemn the U.S. and Israel over what he called their “unlawful aggression” against Tehran. He called on the bloc members and other countries to “take practical steps to stop warmongering” and end what he described as impunity for violations of the U.N. Charter.
Araghchi also urged the bloc members to stop what he called the politicization of international institutions. He said Iran appreciated the support shown by BRICS countries but called for stronger action.
“It is necessary for all of us to intensify our efforts to end this sense of superiority and impunity on the part of the United States — a notion that has no place in today’s world,” he said.
Founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China, BRICS was formed as a grouping of major emerging economies seen as a counterbalance to Western-led institutions such as the G7. South Africa joined in 2010 and the bloc expanded further in 2024 with the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Indonesia became a full member in 2025.
The group has sought to expand its influence by pushing for a bigger role in a global order long dominated by the United States and its Western allies. It has gained support across parts of the Global South, where many countries have criticized Western-led financial institutions.
But BRICS nations remain divided on key issues.
India and China continue to compete for regional influence, while member countries often differ in their ties with the West. Russia’s war in Ukraine has further exposed those differences.
The bloc’s expansion also has added strains. Competing regional interests have increased the difficulty of presenting a unified position.
Divisions have sharpened further during the growing conflict in the Middle East. Iran and the UAE are BRICS members despite pursuing competing interests in the region.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Wednesday that disagreements within BRICS over the conflict had prevented the bloc from reaching a unified position.
Kazem Gharibabadi told news agency Press Trust of India that “one member country” had pushed for language condemning Iran, complicating efforts to build consensus within the grouping.
“We want India’s BRICS chairship to be successful. It is not a good approach to send a signal to the world that the BRICS is divided. One country is insisting on condemning Iran,” Gharibabadi said.
Associated Press journalist Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran contributed to this report.
India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, right, speaks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as he arrives for a two-day BRICS nations meeting in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Foreign ministers and representatives of the BRICS nations, from right, UAE's Foreign Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar, Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedion Timothewos, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, India's Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, South Africa's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ronald Lamola, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono and Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong pose for a group photo during a two-day meeting in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup) CORRECTION: Name and designation corrected to UAE's Foreign Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar, instead of UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy.
Foreign ministers and representatives of the BRICS nations, from right, UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy, Ethiopia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedion Timothewos, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, India's Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, South Africa's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ronald Lamola, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono and Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong pose for a group photo during a two-day meeting in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
India's Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar, right, speaks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as he arrives for a two-day BRICS nations meeting in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
India's Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar, right, shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as he arrives for a two-day BRICS nations meeting in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrives for a two-day BRICS nations Foreign Ministers meeting in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
India's Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar, right, shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as he arrives for a two-day BRICS nations meeting in New Delhi, India, Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
