UK PM Starmer clings to power as Labour crisis escalates

Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister, is fighting to hold on to power as pressure mounts from within the Labour Party for him to step aside, following a wave of resignations, public criticism and disastrous election results that have shaken confidence in his leadership.

The crisis deepened after Wes Streeting, became the first cabinet minister to quit the government, resigning as health secretary and declaring that he had “lost confidence” in Starmer’s leadership. In a resignation letter cited by the BBC, Streeting said it was now “clear that you will not lead the Labour Party into the next general election”.

Read also: Trump, Xi strike warm tone in Beijing talks but tariff tensions remain

His departure marks the most serious challenge yet to Starmer’s authority and has intensified speculation that a formal leadership contest could begin within days. Supporters of Streeting reportedly believe he could launch a challenge as early as Thursday, according to the BBC.

The prime minister is now facing open rebellion across sections of his party. Nearly 90 Labour MPs have publicly called on him to resign immediately or announce a timetable for his departure, while several junior ministers and ministerial aides have already left government roles.

Among those to resign are Jess Phillips, Zubir Ahmed, Alex Davies-Jones and Miatta Fahnbulleh.

The turmoil follows a bruising set of elections for Labour last week, in which the party lost nearly 1,500 councillors in local elections across England, lost power in Wales and suffered its worst ever result in elections to the Scottish Parliament.

Read also: Scientists warn FIFA over heat risks at 2026 World Cup

The scale of the losses has triggered panic among Labour MPs already worried about poor polling numbers and growing public dissatisfaction with the government.

Starmer attempted to steady his party on Wednesday, warning ministers and MPs that a leadership battle could “plunge the country into chaos”. Chancellor Rachel Reeves echoed that message in an interview with the BBC, saying a contest for the leadership would destabilise both the government and the country.

Angela Rayner, former deputy prime minister, who is also viewed as a possible successor to Starmer, said she had been cleared by HMRC over questions surrounding her tax affairs, removing a potential obstacle to any future leadership ambitions.

Streeting briefly visited Downing Street on Wednesday morning for talks with Starmer but left after less than 20 minutes, further fuelling speculation over a deepening split at the top of government.

The political drama unfolded on the same day King Charles III delivered the King’s Speech, setting out the government’s legislative agenda for the months ahead. The speech included plans for 37 bills covering areas such as digital identification, the nationalisation of British Steel, reforms to the NHS and changes to policing.

During the Commons debate that followed, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Starmer had “run out of road”.
Despite the growing unrest, no Labour MP has yet formally launched a leadership challenge. Under Labour Party rules, a challenger would need the backing of 81 MPs, equivalent to 20 per cent of Labour lawmakers, to trigger a contest.

While many MPs remain publicly loyal to Starmer, the mood inside the party has become increasingly tense. More than 150 Labour MPs have either backed the prime minister or argued that now is not the time for a divisive internal battle. But the growing number of resignations and public criticisms suggest pressure on his leadership is unlikely to ease soon.

Read also: 2027: Uzodimma’s senatorial bid raises legal questions

Alongside Streeting and Rayner, Andy Burnham is also being discussed by some Labour figures as a possible future leader, although he would first need to return to Parliament before standing in a leadership contest.

The turmoil marks one of the gravest political crises of Starmer’s premiership and leaves his government facing mounting uncertainty over whether he can restore authority before the next general election.