Labour MP Catherine West has said if a cabinet minister does not challenge Sir Keir Starmer as party leader by Monday, she will attempt to trigger a leadership contest herself.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC, she said her preferred option would be for the cabinet to "reorganise themselves" and put forward their "best communicator" to replace Sir Keir, avoiding a leadership election.
But speaking after devastating election results for Labour, West said she was putting the cabinet "on notice" and if she did not hear from a leadership hopeful by Monday she would ask Labour MPs to back her to trigger a contest.
For this to happen, 20% of Labour MPs – 81 people – would have to back her.
West, a former junior Foreign Office minister, said she currently had 10 MPs prepared to back her in a leadership bid but she was "confident" enough people would come forward to trigger a contest.
