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A week is a long time in politics - and it seems like an eternity since Sir Keir Starmer became Prime Minister following a Labour landslide at the General Election in July 2024.
Since then Nigel Farage’s Reform Party has been in the ascendancy, leading the polls and welcoming a series of high profile Conservative defectors - with Rupert Lowe now building support with his breakaway Restore Party.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been weakened by a series of u-turns, including scrapping plans to increase income tax at the last budget.
Then there’s also the ongoing scandal linking former British Ambassador to the United States Lord Mandelson to financier sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
With the next mandatory General Election not scheduled until August 2029 (that’s the latest date that it can be called) there’s still plenty of time for everything to change.
But it seems that Keir Starmer’s chances of leading his party into another nationwide poll is looking increasingly unlikely.
Here are the 12 current favourites to succeed him as next British Prime Minister - according to the bookies
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9. Rupert Lowe - 16/1
Former Reform MP Rupert Lowe has now started his own political party - Restore Britain. A quickly growing membership means that the bookies reckon he has a 16/1 chance of getting the keys to 10 Downing Street. | Getty Images
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10. Sadiq Khan - 17/1
Sadiq Khan has won three consecutive elections for London's Mayor - making him one of the most powerful politicial figures in the country. Boris Johnson went from being the Mayor of London to leading his party and his country. The bookies reckon there's the 17/1 chance Khan will follow his career trajectory. | Getty Images
11. David Lammy - 17/1
Also priced at 14/1 for the top job is current Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor David Lammy. He's been the MP for Tottenham for 26 years, having first been elected in 2000. | AFP via Getty Images
12. John Healey - 17/1
A real Labour stalwart, John Healey has been an MP since 1997 and held various junior ministerial positions under Tony Blair and Gorden Brown. He is currently Secretary of State for Defence and has seen his odds slashed in the last couple of months to take over from Keir Starmer - down to 17/1. | Getty Images