The MPs who could take over as Prime Minister, including 'outsider' Al Carns from Aberdeen

With two key aides stepping down and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calling for him to go, it looks like Sir Keir Starmer’s time as Prime Minister could be coming to a close.

He has had a tumultuous time in office since Labour’s landslide general election win.

There have been lots of U-turns and plenty of mistakes in the last 18 months.

Keir Starmer could be heading out of Downing St | Getty

Labour is toiling in the polls, with Reform UK’s Nigel Farage looking like the next prime minister.

The main issue is that there is no clear and obvious successor.

Wes Streeting

Health Secretary Wes Streeting | Getty Images

The Health Secretary is probably the favourite to take over from Sir Keir.

He is Labour’s most competent performer in the media - demonstrating this strongly last year when he batted away briefings that he had been plotting against the PM.

Mr Streeting is one of the few ministers who has a relatively successful time in government.

But he is closely associated with Lord Peter Mandelson, whose relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is what caused Downing St Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney to go.

Angela Rayner

Former Deputy PM Angela Rayner Picture date: Tuesday September 2, 2025.

Among Labour members, Angela Rayner would probably be the most popular candidate for leader.

Her working-class background and story (she became a mother at 16 and a gran in her 30s) resonates with ordinary folk across the country.

The 45-year-old is also on the soft left of the party, which would win her the support of plenty of MPs.

But she was forced to resign as deputy prime minister and in September after she broke the ministerial code by underpaying stamp duty on a property purchase.

Shabana Mahmood

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood | Getty Images

Like Mr Streeting, Shabana Mahmood is on the right of the party.

The Home Secretary impressed in the justice brief before being promoted to deal with immigration.

She is liked by former prime minister Tony Blair, but is less well-known than Mr Streeting or Ms Rayner and is not as charismatic as the two.

Al Carns

Al Carns (photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

A real outsider, Al Carns was only elected as an MP in 2024.

We reported how the Aberdeen native and veterans minister courted the Scottish Labour MPs for a potential deputy leadership candidate.

And now some are touting him as prime minister material.

His background as an Afghanistan veteran is seen as a way of using patriotism to appeal to the British public.

He also has no baggage, but is very inexperienced.

Ed Miliband

Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband | Getty Images

Ed Miliband had a rough time when he was Labour leader before.

He lost the 2015 general election as he struggled to convince the public that he could be prime minister.

He joined Sir Keir’s frontbench team in 2020 and has been Energy Secretary since the general election.

The 56-year-old has definitely improved in the chamber since stepping down as leader.

Some MPs have said they would like him to take over - but others have said it would be worse than having Sir Keir as PM.

Douglas Alexander

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander (Pic: Getty Images)

Although his chances would be pretty minimal, some Scottish MPs have suggested that Douglas Alexander would be a good candidate.

Mr Alexander became Scottish Secretary in September, having returned to the Commons in 2024 after losing his seat in 2015.

He is the most experienced member of cabinet, having served in Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s governments.

The 58-year-old was also shadow foreign secretary when Mr Miliband was leader.

He is trusted on the media round on difficult days, but is not necessarily seen as a leader.