A defiant Sir Keir Starmer is clinging to power despite four ministers quitting his government and more than 90 Labour MPs calling for him to resign after Labour’s election drubbing.
Without a confirmed challenger, the prime minister called on his would-be rivals to put up or shut up. Confronting cabinet members for the first time since last week’s disastrous results, he made it clear someone would need to challenge him if they want him removed.
Health secretary Wes Streeting – seen as a likely challenger – left without comment, but he will meet the PM in Downing Street on Wednesday morning ahead of the King’s Speech and the state opening of parliament, at which Sir Keir has pledged to “deliver on the promise of change”.
A separate group of more than 100 MPs signed a letter backing him, urging the party to work together “to deliver the change the country needs” and warning: “This is no time for a leadership contest.”
But it is understood that supporters of former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner are also poised to move if Mr Streeting declares his candidacy.
Earlier reports also suggested Ed Miliband was set to make a leadership bid, although this was quickly denied by sources close to him, according to The Times.
Meanwhile, there was speculation that an MP may stand aside to allow a by-election for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham – who was spotted arriving in London to meet Labour colleagues – to make a return to the Commons to mount a leadership challenge.
Sir Keir insisted he would not be moved, and the only way to try to oust him was a direct challenge. He told his most senior ministers: “The past 48 hours have been destabilising for the government, and that has a real economic cost for our country and for families.
“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered. The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet.”
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper were among those advising Sir Keir to quit. But Ms Mahmood insisted she would not resign from the cabinet, and is “cracking on with the job”.
Deputy prime minister David Lammy warned that “navel gazing” within Labour would only benefit Nigel Farage and Reform UK. He reiterated his “full support” for Sir Keir and urged colleagues calling for him to go to “take a breath”.
“It’s been 24 hours now, and nobody has come forward to put themselves forward in the processes that exist in the party. No one seems to have the names to stand up against Keir Starmer, and for those who are suggesting that he should stand down, they should say which candidate would be better,” he said.
Defence secretary John Healey also threw his weight behind Sir Keir, saying: “More instability is not in Britain’s interest. Our full focus now must be on dealing with immediate economic and security challenges.”
Technology secretary Liz Kendall, business secretary Peter Kyle, welfare secretary Pat McFadden and housing secretary Steve Reed also stood by the Labour leader as they faced the cameras on Downing Street. Mr McFadden said nobody had publicly challenged Sir Keir to go, and that the government should “carry on”.
Mr Kyle said Sir Keir was showing “really steadfast leadership”, while Mr Reed said the prime minister had his “full support”.
But Sir Keir was hit with a series of ministerial resignations, the most high-profile being Home Office minister Jess Phillips, who was responsible for tackling violence against women and girls.
In a stinging resignation letter, Ms Phillips, an ally of Mr Streeting, said: “I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things; however, I have seen first-hand how that is not enough.
“The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.”
She was shortly followed out the door by another safeguarding minister, Alex Davies-Jones, then by a health minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, another close ally of Mr Streeting, who said there was “a lack of values-driven leadership at the centre” of Sir Keir’s government.
Earlier, devolution minister Miatta Fahnbulleh quit and warned: “We have not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demands of us.”
Ms Fahnbulleh is seen as an ally of another senior minister, energy secretary Ed Miliband, who was also notable in his failure to come out in support of the prime minister.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander had to reiterate her “full support” for Sir Keir amid suggestions that she is backing plans for Mr Burnham to return to parliament.
Buckingham Palace is also reported to have asked Sir Keir’s team to keep King Charles out of the prime minister’s leadership crisis ahead of the ceremonial state opening of Parliament on Wednesday.
“The Palace view is ‘we do not want to be any part of this conversation — do not bring us into it,’” one of the people familiar with the matter is said to have told Politico. The Independent has contacted the Palace for comment.
US president Donald Trump appeared nonplussed by the upheaval and said when asked whether the British leader should resign: “That’s up to him. I told him from day one, you’re getting killed on energy.
“You’re windmilling your country to death. Open up the North Sea. You have one of the greatest sources of energy in the world.”
There were also concerns that British political turmoil was pushing up gilt prices, massively increasing the cost of government borrowing.
Former Treasury minister Jim O’Neil told The Independent: “The idea of repeating almost precisely a Labour version of what the Tories did… when the fiscal position is so risky seems mad.”
The US ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, warned that the “frequent turnover” of British prime ministers creates a “problem” for Washington.
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