U.K. Prime Minister is fighting for his political survival after a disastrous set of results in local elections for his Labour Party last week.
Dozens of Labour lawmakers are calling on Starmer to resign, though several ministers publicly spoke of their support for Starmer as they left on Tuesday.
The prime minister has insisted he has no intention of resigning. Starmer could be forced out if one-fifth of sitting Labour lawmakers, or at least 80 or them, agree to back a lawmaker to challenge him. So far, no formal leadership challenge has been triggered.
In a blow to Starmer, a junior minister became the first member of his government to quit on Tuesday.
Here’s the latest:
Deputy leader says Starmer has his full support
David Lammy, the deputy prime minister, has urged lawmakers to step back from calling for Starmer to step down and to stop benefiting their political rivals.
Starmer 鈥渉as my full support, and what I say to colleagues is, look, let鈥檚 just step back. Take a breath,鈥� Lammy told reporters. 鈥淟et鈥檚 get on with the business of running this country.鈥�
鈥淚 urge colleagues to step back and not benefit Nigel Farage and Reform,鈥� he added, referring to the hard-right, anti-immigration party that made major gains in local elections last week.
Starmer could be latest PM turned out by revolving door of British politics
If Keir Starmer steps aside, Britain could get its fifth prime minister in four years.
Starmer鈥檚 Labour Party ousted the Conservatives in 2024 following 14 years in power that saw a series of chaotic leadership changes.
Liz Truss replaced Boris Johnson in September 2022 but only lasted 45 days after announcing unfunded tax cuts that spooked markets.
The party elected Rishi Sunak to succeed her, but he failed to rally public support for the Tories who were badly beaten by Starmer鈥檚 party in the general election.
US ambassador to London speaks about 鈥榝requent turnover鈥� of British leaders
Ambassador Warren Stephens was asked about whether political instability in the U.K. makes it more difficult for Washington to work with the British government.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 really think so. I think the policies don鈥檛 really change that much so long as the party in power is still in power,鈥� he told LBC Radio.
鈥淏ut certainly the ability to have personal relationships matters, and to the extent that there鈥檚 frequent turnover, that鈥檚 a problem,鈥� he said.
Stephens added that the special U.K.-U.S. relationship 鈥済oes on regardless of who our political leaders are.鈥�
Doctor quits Starmer鈥檚 government
A junior health minister is the latest to quit Keir Starmer鈥檚 government, blaming him for massive election losses last week in Scotland.
In a letter to Starmer, Dr. Zubir Ahmed wrote that at 鈥渄oor after door your name was specifically cited as the driving reason鈥� Labour voters in Scotland had turned away from the party.
鈥淚t is clear from recent days, that the public across the U.K. has now irretrievably lost confidence in you as Prime Minister,鈥� Ahmed said.
He said the U.K. government had inadvertently been the 鈥渕idwife鈥� that delivered the Scottish National Party to a fifth term leading the parliament in Scotland, which he said was 鈥渁s intolerable as it was avoidable.鈥�
Ahmed said he was resigning with a 鈥渉eavy heart鈥� after his achievements were 鈥渄warfed and undermined by a lack of values-driven leadership.鈥�
More than 100 Labour lawmakers reportedly sign a statement rejecting a leadership contest
Amid a flurry of calls within Starmer鈥檚 Labour Party for him to step down, British media report that some 100 lawmakers signed a statement supporting the prime minister.
The BBC, Press Association and others reported that lawmakers urged party members to 鈥渨ork together to deliver the change the country needs鈥� after Labour suffered heavy losses at local elections across the U.K. last week.
鈥淲e must focus on that. This is no time for a leadership contest,鈥� the statement reportedly said.
Downing Street statement silent on political chaos
In a statement about the Cabinet meeting earlier Tuesday, Starmer鈥檚 office said senior ministers are focused on the conflict in the Middle East and getting the Strait of Hormuz reopened.
It made no mention of the growing calls from Labour lawmakers for Starmer to resign, or his pledge to 鈥済et on with governing.鈥�
Starmer appeared to be carrying on with the business of government, chairing a committee on responding to the Middle East conflict around noon.
Another minister resigns
Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for tackling violence against women and girls, wrote in a letter to Starmer to 鈥渁ct in the country鈥檚 interest and set out a timetable for your departure.鈥�
She called Starmer a 鈥済ood and honest man,鈥� but described the scale of Labour鈥檚 defeat at last week鈥檚 local elections as 鈥渃atastrophic.鈥�
鈥淭he country has spoken and we must listen,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淲e waited fourteen years to get into power and change the lives of those we represent. The time now is for bold, radical action.鈥�
鈥淲e have needed to do more and therefore it is with a very heavy heart that I feel I have no choice but to resign,鈥� she said.
Second minister resigns from Keir Starmer鈥檚 government
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has lost a second member of his government amid a growing chorus of Labour Party members to resign.
Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, announced her resignation in a letter Tuesday.
鈥淚 think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淗owever I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.鈥�
鈥淚 know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I鈥檓 not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.鈥�
The king鈥檚 speech
The political crisis engulfing Starmer鈥檚 government comes just hours ahead of the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.
King Charles III will deliver the King鈥檚 Speech to mark the beginning of a new parliamentary year. The speech, which is written by officials but read out by the monarch, will set out the government鈥檚 legislative agenda for the coming months.
鈥淎s far as I鈥檓 aware, the King鈥檚 Speech is going ahead tomorrow,鈥� Starmer鈥檚 chief secretary, Darren Jones, said.
Growing number of lawmakers demand Starmer stand down
At least 80 out of Labour鈥檚 403 lawmakers have now demanded the prime minister stand down, or at least set out a timetable for his departure, after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections last week.
However, so far no Labour lawmaker has announced they will challenge Starmer for the leadership.
What to know about contenders who could replace Starmer as Britain鈥檚 Labour leader
While there is no clear frontrunner to replace Starmer, here are some of the leading contenders for the top job:
British minister says 鈥榗abinet united鈥� around Starmer
A cabinet member in Prime Minister Keir Starmer鈥檚 government said there was no direct challenge to his leadership at Tuesday鈥檚 meeting.
Jenny Chapman, minister of international development, said she did not think Starmer鈥檚 authority had been destroyed by dozens of Labour Party members calling for him to step down.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not what I have just seen around the Cabinet table,鈥� she told reporters outside 10 Downing St. 鈥淚 saw a Cabinet united and focused on dealing with the issues that are confronting the British people.鈥�
UK health secretary ignores shouted questions
U.K. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, didn鈥檛 comment as he left the Cabinet meeting at Downing Street.
鈥淲es Streeting, do you want the job, or not?鈥� one person yelled from across the street. 鈥淎re you measuring the curtains?鈥�
He was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a scrum of reporters gathered outside.
Starmer showing 鈥榮teadfast leadership,鈥� Cabinet minister says
U.K. Business Secretary Peter Kyle has voiced support for embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Starmer is showing 鈥渞eally steadfast leadership,鈥� Kyle told reporters as he left the Cabinet meeting.
Kyle says the meeting discussed the economy and issues facing society. He said that he was on his way to Brussels to deepen the U.K. relationship with the European Union 鈥� one of the goals Starmer announced Monday as he delivered a speech aimed at winning back support.
No one has made a leadership challenge yet, official says
A U.K. official says that nobody had yet made a challenge to the leadership of U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
鈥淭he prime minister talked about the challenges we faced as a country, the crisis in the Middle East and the impact on the cost of living here,鈥� Liz Kendall, the secretary of science, innovation and technology, told reporters as she left a Cabinet meeting.
鈥淭his government will do what we were elected to do, which is serve the British people. The prime minister has my full support in this,鈥� Kendall said.
鈥淭here is a process to challenge the leader. Nobody has made that challenge,鈥� she said.
Treasury chief pulls out of business event
U.K. Treasury chief Rachel Reeves won鈥檛 be taking part in a London risk summit that she was due to appear at after attending a Cabinet meeting.
Her place will be taken by Treasury minister Lucy Rigby.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer鈥檚 government is in turmoil as dozens of Labour Party lawmakers joined calls for him to quit, after poor local election results for the party last week.
UK housing secretary urges support for Starmer
Housing Secretary Steve Reed has urged Labour Party colleagues to support Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he faces calls to step down.
Reed posted a message on social media during a meeting of Starmer鈥檚 Cabinet.
鈥淭his is not a game,鈥� Reed said on X. 鈥淭his instability has consequences for people鈥檚 lives. The people who will be hurt most will be those that elected us less than two years ago. We must unite behind the Prime Minister.鈥�
Treasury chief pulls out of business event
The Treasury confirmed that Rachel Reeves has pulled out of a London risk summit she was expected to take part in after attending a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Her place will be taken by Treasury minister Lucy Rigby.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer鈥檚 government is in turmoil as dozens of his Labour Party lawmakers joined calls for him to quit Tuesday.
Starmer resolves to stay in office
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer doubled down Tuesday on his resolve to stay in office, despite calls to step down.
Starmer told Cabinet ministers that he took responsibility for devastating losses that his center-left Labour Party suffered in last week鈥檚 local elections across the U.K., but he would fight on.
Starmer said there鈥檚 a process to oust a leader and that hadn鈥檛 been triggered.
鈥淭he country expects us to get on with governing,鈥� he said. 鈥漈hat is what I am doing and what we must do.鈥�
Junior minister quits UK government
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer lost the first member of his government Tuesday as he faced pressure to step down following losses in local elections.
Housing, communities and local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh stepped down and urged Starmer 鈥渢o do the right thing for the country鈥� and set a timetable to step aside.
Fahnbulleh, a junior minister who is considered to be on the left of the party, said that she was proud of her service, but that the government hadn’t acted with the vision, pace and mandate for change it had been given by voters.
How Starmer could be replaced
The next U.K. national election doesn鈥檛 have to be held until 2029, but British politics allows parties to change leader midterm without the need for a general election.
If it comes to it, the simplest option would be for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to announce his intention to resign, triggering an election for the Labour leadership. A resignation announcement could possibly come if members of his Cabinet tell Starmer in their regular meeting on Tuesday that he has lost too much support within the party.
If Starmer doesn鈥檛 resign, he could face a challenge from one or more Labour lawmakers.
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