As Starmer Falters, Shabana Mahmood Emerges as Possible Successor

London: Reports suggest that the political crisis triggered by the controversy surrounding the Epstein files could significantly alter Britain’s power dynamics. Calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer are growing within the UK, intensifying pressure on his leadership.

The situation has been further complicated by Starmer’s decision to appoint senior Labour figure and former party colleague Peter Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the United States. The appointment has proved highly contentious due to Mandelson’s past associations with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Although no personal wrongdoing has been established against Mandelson, several Labour MPs have publicly demanded Starmer’s resignation, arguing that the decision reflects poor political judgment.

The crisis deepened after both the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and the Director of Communications resigned, reportedly over their role in advising Starmer on Mandelson’s appointment. However, political observers indicate that these resignations alone may not be sufficient to stabilise Starmer’s position. As he struggles to consolidate support within the Labour Party, speculation is mounting that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood could emerge as a potential successor.

If appointed, Mahmood would make history as the United Kingdom’s first Muslim prime minister. A close ally of Starmer, she already holds a landmark position as the first Muslim woman to serve as Home Secretary, overseeing policing, immigration, and national security.

Born on September 17, 1980, in Birmingham to parents of Pakistani-administered Kashmir origin, Mahmood spent her early childhood in Saudi Arabia before returning to the UK. She was educated at Small Heath School and King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, later earning a law degree from Lincoln College, Oxford, in 2002. She completed her Bar Vocational Course at the Inns of Court School of Law in 2003 and went on to practise as a barrister at leading chambers, including 12 King’s Bench Walk and Berrymans Lace Mawer.

Mahmood entered Parliament in 2010 as MP for Birmingham Ladywood. Between 2010 and 2015, she served in several shadow ministerial roles, including Shadow Minister for Prisons, Shadow Minister for Higher Education, and Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury. Following the 2015 general election, she was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. She also played a key role in Yvette Cooper’s leadership campaign.

After Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader in 2015, Mahmood stepped down from the Shadow Cabinet due to ideological differences, continuing her work as a backbench MP. Following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, she was appointed Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor. In 2025, after the resignation of then Home Secretary Angela Rayner, Mahmood was elevated to the post of Home Secretary.

In her current role, she has taken charge of immigration policy, law and order, and border security. Her firm stance on tightening border controls and addressing illegal migration has earned her support from the party’s right wing, further strengthening her profile as a potential future leader of the Labour Party.

As uncertainty deepens around Starmer’s leadership, Shabana Mahmood’s rising prominence has placed her firmly at the centre of discussions about the Labour Party’s future—and possibly the next chapter in British political history.