WESTMINSTER — Eleven Labour-affiliated trade unions are expected to issue a joint statement on Wednesday predicting that Prime Minister Keir Starmer will not lead the party into the next general election. The unions, which include Unite, Unison and the GMB, agreed to publish a statement expecting a change of leadership following a private meeting on Tuesday.

In a leaked statement, the unions said: "It's clear that the prime minister will not lead Labour into the next election, and at some stage a plan will have to be put in place for the election of a new Leader." The general secretaries added that "Labour cannot continue on its current path" and that "Labour is not doing enough to deliver the change that working people voted for at the general election."

The statement acknowledged that progress had been made on the Employment Rights Act and on the increase in the minimum wage. The union leaders also said: "This is a point where the future of the party we founded will be debated and determined, and we are working closely as unions to shape a shared vision on policy, political strategy and economic policy that will reorient Labour back to working people, so Labour do what it was elected to do: govern in the interests of workers."

At Tuesday's private meeting, the unions were divided over whether to call on Starmer to set out a timetable for his departure. According to a source, there had been a big fight among union officials. The GMB and Community argued it was not in the unions' best interests to get involved in leadership wrangling.

"The writing is on the wall for the prime minister after last week's election disaster," said Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite. The union talks went ahead after Starmer pulled out of a scheduled meeting of the Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation on Tuesday, a move that frustrated union officials. The Labour leadership has had disagreements with the unions since coming to power, while securing wins on issues including workers' rights and the minimum wage.

Starmer told his cabinet he would fight on as prime minister after a turbulent few days. More than 90 Labour MPs have called for him to go since the weekend, and four ministers resigned, three of them close allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Starmer grew increasingly confident on Tuesday that he had seen off the immediate threat to his job after a challenge from Streeting failed to materialise despite several of Streeting's allies quitting the government. He was hoping that his second king's speech on Wednesday would be a reset moment for the government to help unite his party.