London: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told members of his government on Tuesday that he has no intention of resigning, as calls grow within his Labor Party for him to step down.Starmer has tried to rally support within his government after a hectic few days in the wake of Labour’s heavy losses in last week’s local elections, which, if repeated in the national election, would see him swept out of office by a landslide.
Several junior ministers resigned from their posts on Tuesday, demanding a change in leadership, although no candidate has yet come forward to directly challenge Starmer. The resignations have sparked speculation that Starmer may suffer the same fate as Boris Johnson in 2022 when dozens of ministers resigned en masse and forced him out.About 80 Labor lawmakers have said Starmer should step down or at least set a timetable for his departure, but that is not enough to spark a leadership contest.
Under Labour’s rules, a fifth of lawmakers in the House of Commons, or 81 members, must publicly give their support to one candidate, and this has not yet happened.On Tuesday, Miatta Vanbulle, the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, became the first member of his cabinet to resign, urging Starmer to “do the right thing for the country” and set a timetable for his departure. She was followed by Jess Phillips, the protection minister, whose resignation letter described Starmer as a “fundamentally good man” but spoke of his inability to make bold changes.
“I know you care deeply, but actions, not words, are what matter,” Phillips said.
He added, “I am not sure that we are seizing this rare opportunity with the required enthusiasm, and I cannot continue to wait for a crisis to occur to press for faster progress.” The third who resigned was British Health Minister Zubair Ahmed. “It is clear to see that whatever the scale of individual achievement and progress, it is now diminished and undermined by the lack of values-driven leadership at the centre,” he said on the
He added: “It is clear since recent days that the public across the UK have irretrievably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister.”Despite his landslide election victory in July 2024, Labour’s popularity has declined, and Starmer takes much of the blame. The reasons are varied, including a series of political missteps, a perceived lack of vision, the faltering British economy, and questions about his judgment – particularly over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to Washington despite the envoy’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.At the start of Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Starmer said he took responsibility for the losses in last week’s local elections across the UK, but he would keep fighting. “The country expects us to continue to govern,” Starmer said.
