One of the Prime Minister's closest aides has declined to say whether Sir Keir Starmer would lead his party into the next election, as calls for his resignation intensify.
Minister's response
Cabinet minister Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, stated that Sir Keir was 'getting on with the job of being Prime Minister' despite reports that senior ministers have privately urged him to set out a departure timetable. When asked directly if Sir Keir would lead Labour into the next election, Mr Jones told Sky News: 'I'm not going to get ahead of any decision the PM may or may not take.'
He emphasised that Sir Keir had been 'very clear yesterday that he will not be walking away,' adding: 'At the front of my mind is that we're getting up and getting on with the job because I think it's a dereliction of duty to do anything otherwise.'
Political fallout
In a speech on Monday intended to outline Labour's response to last week's disastrous local election results, Sir Keir declared he would prove his doubters wrong and vowed to continue in office. However, the address triggered a wave of Labour backbenchers publicly demanding his resignation, including several junior ministerial aides who resigned to make their stance known.
So far, 72 Labour MPs have called on the Prime Minister to announce a timeline for his departure. The Press Association understands that 80 MPs have signed a letter from former minister Catherine West urging Sir Keir to take this step, with most having publicly expressed a loss of confidence in his leadership.
Government moves
In a sign that Sir Keir might be planning to resist the pressure, Downing Street announced the appointment of six new ministerial aides on Monday night to replace those who resigned. While some backbenchers have come out in support of the Prime Minister, reports suggest that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has privately spoken with Sir Keir and advised him to consider his position.
Other senior ministers are reported to have discussed the Prime Minister's future with him before a scheduled Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, which was intended to focus on the Middle East crisis. Mr Jones declined to discuss private conversations between Sir Keir and his Cabinet colleagues but noted that the Prime Minister 'obviously will be in conversations with colleagues because of the issues that they have raised.'
