Challenges Policies that Starmer's MPS could seek to influence

While Keir Starmer may not end up with the majority that some of the polls have been predicting, the turnover of MPs at the election will potentially mean he has hundreds of new faces on his backbenches.

- Aletha Adu

Some in Labour headquarters hope they will be what is sometimes known as "lobby fodder" - helping the party push through new legislation in vote after vote - serving with blind loyalty as they feel they owe Starmer their seats.

Starmer told the Guardian on Monday that he was looking forward to moving on from "nine years of going round and round the lobby tweeting merrily about the importance of the vote but losing every single time".

But even the most steadfast of new MPs will have their own agenda, and he can expect to face challenges on issues including the climate, child poverty, workers' rights and strained relations with minority-ethnic voters.

There will be plenty of MPs who feel they got to the green benches as a result of their own efforts, after weeks of voters sharing their disillusionment on the doorstep. "They won't need to be loyal and grateful to be MPs," one Labour insider said. "They will feel as though they've won because of their own campaigning."

Almost immediately, Labour MPs are ready to challenge Starmer on issues including increasing public sector pay, workers and women's rights, the public ownership of water and how he will resolve the university tuition fee crisis.

Even though the Labour leader claims he has ignored the "noise" from many inside the party telling him to "move over there, do this, or do that" over the years, he did slowly change his position on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after a dozen shadow frontbenchers quit over the issue.