Britain is witnessing massive political turmoil as the future of Prime Minister hangs in the balance, with his home secretary, a handful of ministers, and over 80 MPs calling on him to go, if not immediately, then in the near future.
Ever since Starmer’s Labour Party lost the local elections that took place on May 7, calls seeking the PM’s ouster have grown, with Starmer fighting to stay on as prime minister, the BBC reported.
Here’s a summary of what is happening in the UK
On Wednesday (local time), Health Secretary Wes Streeting arrived at for a meeting with Starmer but left after less than 20 minutes. Streeting’s meeting with Starmer comes at a time when his allies told the BBC that they expect him to launch a leadership challenge against the PM as soon as Thursday.
UK Home Secretary Shabana is among several cabinet ministers urging the prime minister to set out a departure timetable. On Tuesday, Mahmood asked Starmer to start the transition of power after six ministerial aides quit on Monday.
Despite growing calls, has maintained that he is not going to step down and issued a challenge to his potential rivals to formally challenge him as Labour leader. So far, no lawmaker has launched a formal bid to challenge him yet, a move that will require the backing of at least 81 MPs, or at least 20 per cent of Labour MPs, as per party rules.
As many as 11 unions, which help fund the Labour Party, believe “it is clear” that Starmer will not lead the party into the next election. The group, which includes Unite, Unison and GMB, noted that “at some stage”, a plan will have to be put in place for the election of a new leader.
While the unions recognised advances in employment law reform and the rise in the minimum wage, they stressed that Labour could not afford to stay on its present course.
Earlier on Tuesday, Starmer, who pulled out of a meeting with the unions, vowed to get on with governing and insisted he would continue governing, repeatedly reaffirming his commitment to staying on as prime minister.
The 11 unions linked to Labour, representing around four million workers, went ahead with Tuesday’s meeting despite Starmer not attending.
What is the mood of the Labour Party?
Over 80 Labour MPs have publicly called for Starmer to resign immediately or draw up his exit timetable. This came after four ministers — Jess Phillips, Zubir Ahmed, Alex Davies-Jones, and Miatta Fahnbulleh — resigned from the government. Citing sources, the BBC reported that more resignations are likely.
Additionally, over 100 MPs have reportedly signed a statement saying, “This is no time for a leadership contest”, and urging colleagues to “focus” on the job.
UK PM’s take on election loss
On Monday, the UK PM gave a hastily delivered speech and took responsibility for the party’s poor election performance. He termed the results “very tough” and argued that voters would not tolerate the kind of political instability and revolving-door leadership that marked the Conservatives’ time in power.
Starmer has been in power since 2024 after the Labour Party ended the Conservatives’ 14-year rule in a decisive victory. However, over the last few months, his popularity has declined significantly after his cabinet decided to slash the winter fuel allowance during a cost-of-living crisis, due to the party’s policy on Gaza, and the Mandelson scandal.
- Starmer’s leadership is under intense scrutiny following poor election results.
- Over 80 Labour MPs and several cabinet ministers are calling for his resignation.
- The unions supporting Labour express a lack of confidence in Starmer leading into the next election.
