Four Government aides have resigned and more than 60 backbench MPs have called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to quit following Labour’s heavy defeats in the local elections. The resignations mark a significant escalation in the pressure on the Prime Minister, with a Health Minister suggesting that members of the Cabinet “may well” tell the PM to resign tomorrow.
Resignations in Detail
Joe Morris, a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, was among the first to resign his position, calling on Sir Keir to set out a “swift timetable” to step aside. Tom Rutland, PPS to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, followed, stating that the Prime Minister had “lost authority” and “will not be able to regain it”. Naushabah Khan resigned from her position as PPS to the Cabinet Office, calling for “new leadership”, before Melanie Ward resigned from her role as PPS to Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, saying Sir Keir had “lost the confidence of the public”.
Backbench Pressure
A growing number of backbench MPs have also called for Sir Keir to resign as Prime Minister. Among them are Richard Burgon, John McDonnell, and Sally Jameson, an aide to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. Catherine West, who previously said she would challenge Sir Keir for the party leadership, withdrew threats to imminently launch a leadership challenge ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech on Monday but went on to write a letter urging him to step aside.
The Health Minister’s comments suggest that the situation within the Cabinet is increasingly volatile, with potential for further resignations or a direct call for the Prime Minister to step down in the coming days. The local election defeats have clearly shaken the party’s confidence in Sir Keir’s leadership, and the coming hours will be critical in determining his political future.
