Keir Starmer is facing increasing pressure to resign as a significant number of Labour MPs publicly call for his departure following the party’s poor performance in recent local elections, reports BritPanorama.
In the wake of the local elections on May 7, where Labour lost approximately 1,500 council seats, Starmer was engaged in a tense Cabinet meeting at Downing Street on Tuesday. The elections saw Reform UK capturing traditional Labour strongholds in the North and Midlands, while the Green Party made gains in London, contributing to an intensified atmosphere of dissent within the party.
No. 10 issued a statement during the Cabinet session asserting, “The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered. The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a Cabinet.” They further noted that the political turbulence of the past two days could have detrimental economic ramifications for the nation.
As of now, 81 of Labour’s 403 MPs have either demanded Starmer resign immediately or proposed a timetable for his departure. The latest critic is Lizzi Collinge, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, who expressed her belief that Starmer has lost the confidence of the public.
How many Labour MPs have called for Keir Starmer to resign?
The calls for Starmer’s resignation include a mix of public and private pressures, escalating after a recent speech in which he aimed to reset his leadership. New appointments within the Cabinet have been made to replace aides who resigned amid the growing calls for change.
Cabinet members such as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper have reportedly urged Starmer to consider a timeline for stepping down. Conversely, other ministers, including Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, have expressed their support for him to continue.
Which Cabinet ministers have called on Keir Starmer to step down?
Despite the significant number of MPs calling for a change in leadership, experts note that Labour lacks a straightforward mechanism for removing a sitting leader. Unlike the Conservative Party’s protocol, Labour’s process requires 20% of its MPs to support a challenger for a leadership contest—currently amounting to 81 MPs, though they are not unified behind a single successor.
Potential candidates for leadership, such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting and former Deputy PM Angela Rayner, have not publicly called for Starmer to resign, although backbencher Catherine West has begun gathering names to push for a leadership timetable.
Can Keir Starmer be forced out as PM?
The current political climate within Labour indicates a complex scenario. While the number of MPs advocating for his departure has reached a critical mass, the absence of a unified replacement candidate complicates the situation. The coming weeks will be crucial as the party navigates its internal divisions and anticipates the outcomes of ongoing political pressures.
The unfolding events highlight the precarious nature of leadership in politically charged environments, posing questions about accountability and the future direction of Labour as it seeks to regain public trust.
