LONDON (AP) 鈥� U.K. Prime Minister told members of his Cabinet on Tuesday that he has no intention of resigning as calls grew louder within his Labour Party for him to step down.
Starmer tried to shore up support within his Cabinet following a febrile few days in the wake of for the Labour Party in local elections last week, which if repeated in a national election that has to be held by 2029 would see it overwhelmingly ejected from power.
Several junior ministers stepped down from their government posts Tuesday, calling for a change in leadership, though no had yet come forward to challenge Starmer directly. The resignations stoked speculation that Starmer could suffer the fate of Boris Johnson in 2022 when dozens of ministers quit en masse and .
Around 80 Labour lawmakers have now said or at least set out a timetable for his departure, but that鈥檚 not enough to trigger a leadership contest. Under Labour party rules, a fifth of its lawmakers in the House of Commons, or 81 members, must publicly give their backing to a single candidate, and that hasn鈥檛 happened yet.
First resignations
On Tuesday, Miatta Fahnbulleh, minister of housing, communities and local government, became the first member of his government to step down, urging Starmer 鈥渢o do the right thing for the country鈥� and set a timetable for his departure.
She was followed by Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, whose resignation letter called Starmer a 鈥済ood man fundamentally鈥� but vented about his inability to make bold changes.
鈥淚 know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that鈥檚 needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.鈥�
Despite winning a , Labour鈥檚 popularity has sunk and Starmer is getting much of the blame.
The reasons are varied, including a series of policy missteps, a perceived lack of vision, a struggling British economy and questions over his judgment 鈥� especially over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to Washington despite the envoy鈥檚 ties to the convicted sex offender .
Starmer defiant
At the start of the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said he took responsibility for the losses in last week鈥檚 local elections across the U.K. but that he would fight on.
Labour was squeezed from right and left, losing votes to both anti-immigrant Reform UK and the Green Party, as well as nationalist parties in Scotland and Wales. The result reflects the increasing fragmentation of U.K. politics, long dominated by Labour and the Conservatives.
Starmer said that there鈥檚 a process to oust a leader and that it hadn’t been triggered.
鈥淭he country expects us to get on with governing,鈥� Starmer said. 鈥淭he past 48 hours have been destabilizing for government and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.鈥�
That cost was evident in financial markets on Tuesday, with the interest rate charged on British government bonds up by more than those of comparable nations. That shows that investors are putting a higher price on taking on government debt.
As Cabinet ministers left 10 Downing Street, some voiced their support for the embattled prime minister.
Works and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said nobody publicly challenged Starmer at the meeting, while Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the prime minister was showing 鈥渞eally steadfast leadership.鈥�
Potential candidates
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, long believed to be preparing for a leadership challenge against Starmer, was among senior ministers who dodged a barrage of shouted questions from a gaggle of reporters outside.
鈥淲es Streeting, do you want the job, or not?鈥� a man yelled from across the street. 鈥淎re you measuring the curtains?鈥�
The other two names often touted as possible successors are , the former deputy prime minister who had to quit last year over an unpaid tax bill. She has long set herself apart as a different kind of politician with a compelling personal story, brought up in social housing and leaving school at 16 as a teen mother.
, the popular mayor of Greater Manchester, is widely perceived to be one of the strongest candidates. but is not eligible to stand at present, because he鈥檚 not in Parliament. So to get in the race, he’ll have to find a seat where he can be elected. That may involve a close ally of his in the northwest of England vacating his or her seat for him to stand. However, he may be blocked as was the case earlier this year or even if sanctioned, could lose, if last week’s results are any guide.
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Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this report.
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