More than 70 Labour MPs and several senior cabinet ministers have urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign after the ruling party suffered heavy losses in recent local and regional elections, triggering a deepening leadership crisis within the government. Pressure intensified on Monday as four ministerial aides resigned and senior party figures privately questioned whether Starmer can lead Labour into the next general election, due in 2029.
According to British media reports, cabinet ministers including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood privately urged Starmer to consider an orderly transition of power after the poor electoral showing. Under Labour Party rules, 81 MPs are needed to formally trigger a leadership contest, a threshold not yet reached.
Starmer rejected calls to step down, telling party supporters in London: “I know I have my doubters, and I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will.” He said he would continue fighting to restore confidence in his leadership and later added, “I’m not going to walk away.”
The backlash followed significant defeats for Labour in council elections across England and setbacks in Scotland and Wales. In Wales the party lost control of the Welsh parliament to Plaid Cymru for the first time since 1999. The hard-right Reform UK and the Greens also made notable gains at Labour’s expense.
Several of the aides who resigned criticised Starmer publicly. Joe Morris, a parliamentary aide to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, said it was “now clear that the prime minister no longer has the trust or confidence of the public to lead this change.” Tom Rutland, an aide to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, said Starmer had “lost authority” within the parliamentary party and “will not be able to regain it.” Melanie Ward said the results showed Starmer had “lost the confidence of the public to lead this change,” while Naushabah Khan called for “new leadership so that we can rebuild trust and deliver the better future that the British people voted for.”
Starmer, who took office in July 2024 after a landslide victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule, has faced criticism over economic stagnation, rising living costs and several political controversies. In response he has promised a “complete break” from previous policymaking, pledging stronger action on economic growth, energy reform and closer ties with Europe. He has also vowed to nationalise British Steel and warned that Brexit left Britain “poorer, weaker and less secure.”
Speculation about possible successors has grown, with names such as Wes Streeting and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner frequently mentioned as potential challengers. For now, Starmer remains defiant, insisting he will stay on and attempt to rebuild public and party confidence.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/more-than-70-labour-mps-and-senior-cabinet-ministers-urge-uk-pm-keir-starmer-to-quit-after-crushing-election-losses/articleshow/131025099.cms
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Publish Date: 2026-05-12 03:40:00
