Keir Starmer Defies Calls To Quit After Labour Local Election Defeat

Prime Minister Keir Starmer defied calls to quit after a “destabilising” 48 hours of growing pressure following Labour’s local election defeat, telling ministers he would “get on with governing.”

“Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defied calls to resign, telling ministers he will "get on with governing" despite a "destabilising" 48 hours of growing calls to set out a timetable for his departure after a drubbing in local elections”

AAP News

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said “The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered,” according to his Downing Street office.

AAP News

The Guardian reported that Jess Phillips resigned from government calling for Starmer to quit, and that four ministers quit on Tuesday and joined nearly 90 MPs to have called for the prime minister to go.

The BBC said Labour’s process for removing a leader requires 81 MPs to back a single challenger, while more than 100 backbenchers and junior ministers signed a statement saying this is “no time for a leadership contest.”

The Guardian said Zubir Ahmed, a health minister, and Alex Davies-Jones, the minister for victims and tackling violence against women and girls, resigned shortly after Phillips, while Wes Streeting was set to meet Starmer on Wednesday morning.

HuffPost UK reported that Miatta Fahnbulleh was the first minister to resign on Tuesday and quoted her telling Starmer: “The public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I.”

BBC

HuffPost UK also quoted Jess Phillips’s resignation letter to Starmer, including her line that “opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.”

The Independent reported that Jess Phillips, Alex Davies-Jones, junior minister Miatta Fahnbulleh and Health Minister Zubir Ahmed all resigned and implored Sir Keir “to act in the country’s interest and set out a timetable for your departure.”

As the leadership fight gathered momentum, the Guardian reported that more than 100 Labour MPs signed a letter saying this is “no time for a leadership contest,” while the LabourList tally put the number of MPs saying the PM should go at 88.

The Times said MPs pivotal in any contest were calling for Labour to reform its fiscal framework and increase taxes on wealth, with the Tribune group proposing stripping the Treasury of responsibility for economic growth and scrapping stamp duty.

CNBC reported that as of Monday evening, 77 Labour MPs were calling for Starmer to quit, and that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was the most prominent voice to call on the PM to stand down.

AAP News said Starmer warned that “The past 48 hours have been destabilising for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families,” as the party’s internal process for challenging a leader remained “not been triggered.”