Kamal Ghorui
More than 70 Labour lawmakers have reportedly urged British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to step down after the ruling party suffered major losses in local and regional elections, deepening a growing leadership crisis within the government.The pressure mounted on Monday as four ministerial aides resigned and senior party figures privately questioned whether Starmer could continue leading Labour into the next general election due in 2029.According to British media reports, several cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood, urged Starmer to consider an orderly transition of power following Labour’s poor electoral performance.Under Labour Party rules, 81 MPs are required to formally trigger a leadership contest.Despite the mounting rebellion, Starmer rejected calls to resign and insisted he would continue fighting to restore confidence in his leadership.“I know I have my doubters, and I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will,” Starmer said during a speech to party supporters in London.The backlash follows heavy Labour defeats in council elections across England and setbacks in Scotland and Wales, where 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 significant gains at Labour’s expense.Several resigning aides publicly criticised Starmer’s leadership.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”.Another aide, Melanie Ward, said the election results showed Starmer had “lost the confidence of the public to lead this change.”Naushabah Khan, who also resigned, called for “new leadership so that we can rebuild trust and deliver the better future that the British people voted for.”Starmer, who came to power in July 2024 after a landslide victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule, has faced criticism over economic stagnation, rising living costs and a series of political controversies.Seeking to steady his leadership, Starmer promised a “complete break” from previous policymaking and pledged stronger action on economic growth, energy reforms and closer ties with Europe. He also vowed to nationalise British Steel and argued that Brexit had left Britain “poorer, weaker and less secure”.“Our response this time must be different, a complete break. We must make this country stronger and take control of our economic security,” he said.Speculation over possible successors has intensified, with Wes Streeting and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner among those frequently mentioned as potential challengers.However, Starmer insisted he would not step aside voluntarily, saying: “I’m not going to walk away.”
