A defiant Keir Starmer has clung on to power – for now – as four ministers quit his government and more than 90 Labour MPs called for him to go as the deep divisions within Labour grow.
Another 100 MPs signed a letter supporting him to stay on, urging the party to work together “to deliver the change the country needs” and warning: “This is no time for a leadership contest.”
Without a direct challenger, the embattled prime minister refused to go as he called on his would-be rivals to put up or shut up. Confronting Cabinet members on Tuesday morning for the first time since last week’s disastrous local election results, he made it clear that someone needs to challenge him if they want him removed.
Instead, Sir Keir plans to plough ahead with Wednesday’s King’s Speech with the state opening of Parliament and a pledge to “deliver on the promise of change”.
A bruising day in Westminster for the PM began with all eyes on health secretary Wes Streeting, whose supporters had started a cascade of demands for Sir Keir to quit on Monday evening.
It is understood that supporters of former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner are poised to move if Mr Streeting declares his candidacy.
Meanwhile, there was speculation that an MP may stand aside to allow a by-election for Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who was spotted arriving in London to meet Labour MPs, to make a return to the Commons and challenge Sir Keir.
But in a dramatic moment, Sir Keir insisted he would not be moved, and the only way to try to oust him was a direct challenge.
He told his most senior ministers: “As I said yesterday, I take responsibility for these election results and I take responsibility for delivering the change we promised.
“The past 48 hours have been destabilising for the government, and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.
“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.”
While loyalists came out of the weekly Cabinet meeting to give their support for the beleaguered prime minister, others, including Mr Streeting, left without comment.
Shabana Mahmood and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper had been among those on Monday evening advising Sir Keir to quit. But the home secretary on Tuesday insisted she would not resign from the Cabinet and is “cracking on with the job”.
Deputy prime minister David Lammy warned that “navel-gazing” within Labour would only benefit Nigel Farage and Reform UK. He reiterated his “full support” for Sir Keir and urged colleagues calling for him to go to “take a breath”.
“It’s been 24 hours now, and nobody has come forward to put themselves forward in the processes that exist in the party. No one seems to have the names to stand up against Keir Starmer, and for those who are suggesting that he should stand down, they should say which candidate would be better,” he said.
Defence secretary John Healey also threw his weight behind Sir Keir, saying: “More instability is not in Britain’s interest. Our full focus now must be on dealing with immediate economic and security challenges.”
Technology secretary Liz Kendall, business secretary Peter Kyle, welfare secretary Pat McFadden and housing secretary Steve Reed also stood by the Labour leader as they faced the cameras on Downing Street. Mr McFadden said nobody had publicly challenged Sir Keir to go, and that the government should “carry on”.
Mr Kyle said Sir Keir was showing “really steadfast leadership”, while Mr Reed said the prime minister had his “full support”.
But Sir Keir was hit with a series of ministerial resignations, the most high-profile name being Home Office minister Jess Phillips, who was responsible for tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG).
In a stinging resignation letter, Ms Phillips, an ally of Mr Streeting, said: “I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things; however, I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.
“The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.”
She was shortly followed by another safeguarding minister, Alex Davies-Jones, in leaving government and then by a health minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, another close ally of Mr Streeting, who said there was “a lack of values-driven leadership at the centre” of Sir Keir’s government.
Earlier devolution minister Miatta Fahnbulleh quit with a warning: “We have not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demands of us.”
Ms Fahnbulleh is seen as an ally of another senior minister, energy secretary Ed Miliband, who was also notable in his failure to come out in support of the prime minister.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander had to reiterate her “full support” for Sir Keir Starmer amid suggestions that she is backing plans for Mr Burnham to return to Parliament.
She wrote on X: “There’s a lot of nonsense flying around at the moment. The PM has my full support in getting on with the job. The only trains I’ve ever spoken to Andy about are those which will run on Northern Powerhouse Rail.”
Earlier, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Darren Jones had sparked speculation that Sir Keir might quit, saying: “I’m not going to get ahead of any decision the PM may or may not take.”
But with Labour already at war with itself, there were concerns over the rise in gilt prices, massively increasing the cost of government borrowing.
Former Treasury minister Lord Jim O’Neil told The Independent: “The idea of repeating almost precisely a Labour version of what the Tories did… when the fiscal position is so risky seems mad.”
Meanwhile, the US ambassador to London, Warren Stephens, warned that the “frequent turnover” of British prime ministers creates a “problem” for Washington, DC in building personal ties with the UK.
