Britain is witnessing massive political turmoil as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s future hangs in the balance and his Home Secretary, a handful of ministers and more than 80 MPs are calling for him to leave, if not immediately, then in the near future.
Since Starmer’s Labor Party lost local elections on May 7, calls for the prime minister’s ouster have been growing, with Starmer fighting to stay on as prime minister, the BBC reported.
Read also | British Prime Minister Starmer is in danger. Why the timing of his departure matters to markets.
Here’s a summary of what’s happening in the UK
On Wednesday (local time), Health Secretary Wes Streeting arrived at Downing Street for a meeting with Starmer, but left after less than 20 minutes. Streeting’s meeting with Starmer comes as his allies have told the BBC they expect him to launch a leadership challenge against the Prime Minister as early as Thursday.
Britain’s Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is among several cabinet ministers urging the prime minister to set a timetable for departure. On Tuesday, Mahmood asked Starmer to initiate a handover after six ministerial aides resigned on Monday.
Despite mounting calls, Starmer insisted he was not going to stand down and urged potential rivals to formally challenge him as Labor leader. No lawmaker has yet launched a formal bid to challenge him, a move that will require the support of at least 81 MPs, or at least 20 per cent of Labor MPs, according to party rules.
As many as 11 unions that help fund Labor believe it is “clear” Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. The group, which includes Unite, Unison and the GMB, noted that “at some stage” a plan would have to be put in place to elect a new leader.
While unions acknowledged progress on labor law reform and raising the minimum wage, they stressed that Labor could not afford to stay on its current course.
Read also | Keir Starmer is facing a growing Labor rebellion after the UK’s disastrous local elections
Earlier on Tuesday, Starmer, who pulled out of a meeting with unions, vowed and insisted he would continue to govern, reiterating his commitment to remain prime minister.
The 11 Labour-affiliated unions, which represent around four million workers, went ahead with Tuesday’s meeting despite Starmer not attending.
What is the mood of the Labor Party?
More than 80 Labor MPs have publicly called on Starmer to resign immediately or set a timetable for leaving. This comes after four ministers – Jess Phillips, Zubir Ahmed, Alex Davies-Jones and Miatta Fahnbulleh – resigned from the government. The BBC, citing sources, said more resignations were likely.
In addition, more than 100 Labor MPs are said to have signed a statement saying: “This is no time for a leadership contest” and urging colleagues to “focus” on work.
The British Prime Minister thinks he will lose the election
On Monday, the British prime minister made a hasty speech and took responsibility for the party’s poor election performance. He described the results as “very tough” and argued that voters would not tolerate the kind of political instability and revolving-door leadership that marked the Conservatives’ time in power.
Starmer has been in power since 2024 after Labor ended 14 years of Conservative rule with a decisive victory. However, his popularity has fallen significantly over the past few months after his cabinet decided to cut the winter fuel allowance amid the cost of living crisis due to the party’s Gaza policy and the Mandelson scandal.
Key things
- Starmer’s leadership is under intense scrutiny after poor election results.
- More than 80 Labor MPs and several cabinet ministers are calling for his resignation.
- Labor-backing unions express a lack of confidence in Starmer’s leadership at the next election.
