How Keir Starmer plunged in 674 days from 2024 election triumph to fighting for his political life

Sir Keir Starmer’s fall from general election victory to the brink of being ousted as Prime Minister has happened at extraordinary speed.Just 674 days later he faced the start of moves to force him out of Downing Street.Here is how his premiership has unfolded:* July 5: Sir Keir becomes Prime Minister after voters turn their back on the Tories.* July 29: Chancellor Rachel Reeves announces plans to means-test the winter fuel payment.Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves raised taxes by £40 billion in Labour‘s first BudgetPA Wire* August-September: A row erupts over Sir Keir and other Cabinet ministers accepting gifts from wealthy donors. * October: Downing Street chief-of-staff Sue Gray quits after infighting in No10.* December: Lord Mandelson is appointed by Sir Keir as British ambassador to the US.* January: Donald Trump becomes US president amid claims Sir Keir’s government will struggle to form strong ties with the Republican administration.* May 1: Local elections in England see Labour lose 187 seats, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK gain 677, with the Tories losing 674. Labour loses the Runcorn and Helsby by-election to Reform.* May 21: Sir Keir announces a partial U-turn on winter fuel payments.Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump struck a US-UK trade deal but fell out over the Iran warPA Archive* June 16: The PM and Trump announce a trade deal between the UK and US.* July 1: Sir Keir suffers the biggest revolt of his premiership so far as 49 Labour MPs vote against his welfare reforms.* November 26: Ms Reeves delivers her second Budget, raising billions more in taxes and scrapping the two-child benefit cap.Read More* February 8: The PM’s chief-of-staff Morgan McSweeney quits in the wake of the Lord Mandelson row.* February 9: Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calls on the Prime Minister to quit, saying that the “leadership in Downing Street needs to change”.* February 23: Lord Mandelson is arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.Sir Keir Starmer appointed Lord Mandelson British ambassador to the USPA Wire* February 28: Trump launches his Iran war, with Sir Keir refusing to allow US planes to use UK bases for offensive airstrikes.* March 3: The US president attacks the PM, saying he is “not Winston Churchill” but Sir Keir refuses to bow to Trump pressure for the UK to be dragged into the Middle East conflict.* April 16: Sir Keir is accused of misleading the Commons in a row over Lord Mandelson’s security vetting. He denies the claim.Wes Streeting quit as Health Secretary amid moves to force a leadership contest against Sir Keir StarmerPOOL/AFP via Getty Images* May 9: London MP Catherine West declares her intention to launch a ‘stalking horse’ leadership bid if the Cabinet does not move against Sir Keir.* May 11: Sir Keir gives keynote speech to silence his critics but it fails to quell the Labour revolt.* May 12: Faith minister Miatta Fahnbulleh, MP for Peckham, becomes the first of four ministers to resign.* May 14: Wes Streeting quits as Health Secretary as the PM fights to stay in No10. Leadership rival Andy Burnham announces he will bid to stand again in Parliament.