Starmer faces calls to step down as UK prime minister
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared to his Cabinet that he has no plans to resign despite growing calls from within the Labour Party for his departure following significant local election losses.
- Over 70 Labour backbenchers, nearly 20% of the party’s MPs, have publicly urged Starmer to step down or set a timetable for leaving, though no leadership challenger has formally emerged yet.
- Junior minister Miatta Fahnbulleh resigned, criticizing the government’s lack of vision and clear Labour values, becoming the first minister to step down amid the party’s internal turmoil.
- Starmer accepted responsibility for the election setbacks but emphasized the need to continue governing, warning that destabilizing leadership speculation harms the country’s economy and financial markets.
- Some Cabinet members expressed support for Starmer’s leadership after the meeting, while the possibility remains that a leadership challenge could be triggered by other MPs before the next general election, which is not due until 2029.