Amid growing calls to oust British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday (local time), he issued a defiant message to those rebelling against him, including members of his own party, NBC News reported.
More than 80 Labor lawmakers have called on Starmer to resign or say when he will, including several members of his inner government cabinet. But the British prime minister faced a growing rebellion at a fractious meeting with ministers at No 10 Downing Street today.
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Calls for Keir Starmer’s resignation stem from the disastrous local election results where Labor lost over 1,400 seats. Voters and party members are frustrated with his leadership, citing a series of mistakes, policy reversals and concerns about the lack of a clear plan for the economy.
Keir Starmer issued a defiant message saying the country expects the government to focus on governing and that is what he intends to do. He admitted responsibility for the poor election result, but faces a rebellion within his party.
At least six members of Keir Starmer’s cabinet have reportedly told him to resign. They include Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Defense Secretary John Healey, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Labor suffered humiliating defeats in the recent local elections, losing over 1,400 seats and power in Wales. The party also lost significant support to Reform UK and the Green Party, with many voters reportedly chastising Starmer outright.
To trigger a formal leadership contest, a challenger would need the support of 20 per cent of their peers, meaning at least 81 Labor MPs.
Read also | Keir Starmer is facing a growing Labor rebellion after the UK’s disastrous local elections
According to his office, Starmer said: “The country expects us to continue to govern. That’s what I’m doing and what we have to do.”
UK calls for Starmer’s resignation
The development comes after the British prime minister was named in a poll as the country’s most unpopular leader in history, with a series of gaffes and U-turns fueling voters’ fears that he has no clear plan to revive the country’s stagnant economy. That frustration came to a head last week after Labor suffered a humiliating defeat in the midterm-style local elections, with many voters saying they were specifically punishing Starmer himself.
In addition, a growing number of leaders in his party fear that inaction will result in Labor breaking up the hard-right Reform UK, led by US President Donald Trump’s ally Nigel Farage, in the next national election, due in 2029. But no candidate has come forward to challenge Starmer.
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Each member of parliament would need the support of 20 percent of their peers to trigger a leadership contest.
Starmer’s cabinet remains divided
According to Al Jazeera, Starmer’s cabinet was reportedly divided over whether or not to continue. At least six of its members have told Starmer to step down, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Defense Secretary John Healey, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Mahmood reportedly briefed Starmer to oversee the transition of power. This came amid a flurry of similar statements by MPs and six ministerial assistants who resigned on Monday.
Another leader to resign on Tuesday was the UK minister for victims and violence against women and girls, Alex Davies-Jones, who called on Starmer to step down after the “disastrous” election defeats.
Davies-Jones said: “I am asking you to act in the interests of the country and set a timetable for your departure,” adding: “I know you are a good and honest man. But in my heart are my constituents, the victims I have had the privilege of working with every day.”
Starmer receives support from allies
After the meeting, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said “no-one questioned the Prime Minister”. “There have been many messages of support,” he said.
Labor leader Anna Turley and technology minister Liz Kendall also noted that Starmer had their “full support”.
Read also | ‘Those are not the words I would use’: Keir Starmer on Trump’s Iran rhetoric
The British Prime Minister bears responsibility for the election loss
In a speech on Monday, Starmer accepted responsibility for Labour’s poor election performance, calling the results “very tough”. He also argued that voters would not tolerate the kind of political instability and revolving-door leadership that marked the Conservatives’ time in power.
In Thursday’s local elections, Labor lost more than 1,400 seats and lost power in Wales as Reform UK and the Greens made gains.
In his speech on Monday, the British Prime Minister described the Labor Party as a “mainstream party of power, not of protest”. He also took a dig at the far-right Reform UK and the Greens, arguing that both feed off desperation, which they exploit and amplify, without saying that neither “offers the serious, progressive leadership that these times require”.
Starmer’s government has been in power since 2024 after ending 14 years of Conservative rule with a landslide victory. But his popularity has fallen since his cabinet decided to cut the winter fuel allowance amid the cost of living crisis, the party’s Gaza politics and the Mandelson scandal.
Key things
- Starmer accepts responsibility for Labour’s poor election performance.
- Internal party dissent reveals significant differences over leadership and direction.
- Political instability could threaten Labour’s future against a growing right-wing opposition.
